True Glee Season 1
by wildemoon
Summary: In a world where vampires have come out of the shadows, a set of supernatural problems has beset the residents of Lima, Ohio. Romance, angst, possession, and lots of smut ensue. SLASH - Klaine, Merthur and others
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** True Glee

**Author:** Elizabeth Wilde & Chad Moore

**Rating:** NC-17 (rimming, anal, barebacking, bloodplay… if we can fit a kink in, it'll probably be here eventually – plus violence including minor character death)

**Fandom:** Glee (au), Merlin (au), True Blood-esque 'verse

**Genre:** AU, Drama, Romance

**Pairings:** Kurt/Blaine (Klaine), Finn/OMC, Mike/OMC, Merlin/Arthur (Merthur), Blaine/OMC

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Glee, Merlin, or True Blood. This premise is so nuts it's obviously just for fun, so don't bother suing.

**Summary: **In a world where vampires have come out of the shadows, a set of supernatural problems has beset the residents of Lima, Ohio. Romance, angst, possession, and lots of smut ensue.

**Distribution:** Anywhere I post my fic, anyone who asks me nicely, my own site at www dot biteyourtongue dot net slash wilde

**Author's Notes: **My wonderful writing partner Chad and I came up with this idea (okay, okay, HE did). We liked the True Blood universe, and we wanted to play with it. So we put the Glee characters in it. Then we figured… why not throw Merlin in there too? And this is what happened. It's smutty, it's AU, it's all for fun… so enjoy! If you're looking for something super serious and deep, this is sooooo not the place.

When he first came back, it was like surfacing after being underwater for too long. Merlin had gasped for breath, drawing it in, finding a strange taste and smell to the air of the place. He didn't even know where he was until later, until he managed to stumble his way blindly into a town to find that everything had changed. The world had gone on, and now the snickered warnings from the other fae that the world was "just fine without him" made a great deal more sense. 

He'd been gone too long. 

It had been so crushing a blow that Merlin hadn't even cared when he spent the first few nights napping in the woods and ignoring the way people looked at his strange clothes. But the town was small and people talked and, just as eventually, someone wanted a pet project. For all his initial bitterness and rejections of the help, the woman was a widower. She had nothing to do but pester Merlin until he let her take him home like a stray cat and give him clothes handed down from her late husband that didn't fit quite right.

The only thing Merlin could think as he tried to get a handle on the new world in which he found himself was that Arthur wasn't in it.

Before he left, he'd written the prince a letter. It had explained who he was, what he was and where he was going. It had also spent the better part of two pages apologizing for not being honest before and begging Arthur to forgive him, promising that he would return and that he would explain face to face once he did. Because he hadn't been able to do it. Merlin had lacked the courage to look Arthur in the eyes and see the grudging respect the prince had finally developed for him turn to hatred. Magic was evil so far as Arthur was concerned, had snatched away both of his parents. Merlin hadn't been able to face Arthur looking at him with hatred. 

So he'd walked out on the man that he loved more than he would ever be able to say without a word. He'd found a tear in the veil between worlds behind the castle, and he'd slipped through as he'd been summoned to do. There were debts to be paid, the fae had told him. They had saved him and saved Arthur, and for once his own people - for they insisted he was one of their own even if he was not a full-blooded fae himself - needed his loyalty too.

For awhile, Merlin simply let the woman take care of him. He didn't have the will to care for himself when he had ruined everything. What was the point of it all? His destiny was Arthur, and Arthur was dead. Centuries dead. Some nights just the idea of it kept him up sobbing into the pillow of the kind woman's guest room until exhaustion brought with it the relief of sleep.

Eventually he realized he needed a life of his own however empty that life might be. He got a job at a bar. It amused him. A vampire bar, of all things. The owner had been kind enough to tell him stiffly to be careful, that "his kind" were rather "attractive" to the undead. Once Merlin realized that fairies and vampires had a very special sort of a connection, he'd figured out a simple spell to cloak himself, a sort of magical cologne that would obscure the scent that was likely to turn the patrons into ravenous beasts. And so he had eventually moved out of the widow's house over her protests. No matter how much she disapproved of his job, Merlin was fairly certain she considered him the adopted son she never had. He hated breaking her heart, but he'd needed someplace to be alone. He'd found the place in rat trap of an apartment a few blocks from the bar. It allowed him to walk to work and still afford some groceries. Perfect.

Merlin found a used laptop in a pawn shop and set about filling in the blanks in his own memory. So he'd found himself scouring the internet and reading legends and tales of Camelot that he knew to be stories at best and lies at worst and slinging drinks and fake blood to the only other creatures he knew who had suffered the same culture shock he had himself. The stories pained him, but he couldn't stop reading. They claimed that Arthur had been married to Guinevere. That thought was a pleasant one. He needed someone to look after him, and Gwen was kind, sweet. But he couldn't picture sweet Gwen betraying Arthur, nor could he imagine Lancelot, of all people, turning on his prince - no, his king.

What hurt the most was reading about the end of it all, how terribly wrong things had gone, how Mordred - and how was he old enough to lead armies? to try to take over the throne? - had waged war while Arthur was weak and mourning and killed the king on the battlefield. The first time he'd seen the words, Merlin had slammed the lid of the laptop shut and spent the rest of the evening curled up in bed sobbing. He'd known Arthur was dead. He'd known, but seeing it stated so plainly and unemotionally tore his heart. And, then, maybe the stories were wrong. So many of them spoke as if he'd been there, as if Merlin had been by the king's side just as he'd always wanted to be. So maybe all of it was lies anyway.

It didn't matter. Arthur was still dead. He was still alone.

He could do this. Kurt stood up straighter and ran a hand over his clothing. For once he was being somewhat inconspicuous. The black pants, tight gray shirt and black vest he wore were positively drab by his usual standards, but together it made for a fetching ensemble and one he hoped looked sophisticated enough for him to pass for the 23 years old his fake ID said he was. Satisfied that he was well put together, Kurt sauntered up to the woman guarding the door as confidently as possible and held out his ID. 

She raised an eyebrow, gave him an appraising once-over, and chuckled. "Enjoy yourself."

There was something dark and dangerous in her eyes that made Kurt want to shy away. Instead he flashed a tight, nervous smile and edged into the bar. He was tired of letting other people tell him what he could and couldn't do. He wasn't some shrinking violet who could be kept in the corner. He was Kurt Hummel, and... and now that he was here, he was having trouble deciding how exactly he'd gone from wanting to prove his bravery to being stupid enough to go to a vampire bar without telling a single soul where he'd be. Ignoring his own nerves, Kurt moved toward the bar and found himself looking at a young man who didn't seem as if he could much out of high school himself. To his surprise, the man greeted him with a warm smile. "Um, hi," Kurt ventured, wondering why the guy was looking at him as if they'd known each other for years.

"Didn't figure I'd see any familiar faces here." There was a healthy dose of relief in the words, and the young man's bright blue eyes sparkled. 

As much as he hated to quash the pleasant greeting, Kurt shook his head. "Familiar? No, I... you must be mistaking me for someone else." Kurt wondered if perhaps the bartender was a bit touched or if he was this odd with everyone.

The bartender looked momentarily uncertain. "Are you sure?" He followed with something that sounded like a name - Kurt was sure he heard his own buried in the syllables somewhere - but that he had never heard before in his life. "You don't... oh. My mistake. Sorry." Seeming momentarily out of sorts, the bartender finally looked him over again, "Be careful in here. You... well, you might get a little extra attention. Anyway, what can I get you?" 

Kurt, puzzled by the whole experience, ordered the only alcoholic drink he really knew and settled for a cosmo. He waited patiently, glancing around to find that the bartender seemed to be right. Quite a few sharks were circling already. He felt a flush rising up his neck at the thought. The sound of the bartender's gentle voice - what the hell was someone English doing slinging drinks here anyway? - broke into his thoughts again, "I think the person you're looking for's back that way." He nodded toward a booth in the rear of the club where an absolutely stunning man sat. He had unruly dark hair and dark eyes that made Kurt's breath catch even from across the bar. 

"I- I wasn't looking for anyone," Kurt protested weakly, tearing his gaze away so that he could regard the man speaking and take his drink. "I just came..."

"Yeah, well, think he's the one anyway," the bartender protested with a shrug. "Go on." 

Kurt hesitated and then started walking in that direction as if the gentle encouragement were an order instead. His feet moved of their own accord, and he was nearly to the man's table when an unknown hand grabbed his arm. The cool fingers were like a vice, and Kurt's eyes flew to the stranger who held him fast. The man wasn't unattractive, but his green eyes were cruel, and the smile more like a leer. "Hey, pretty. Come dance with me." Kurt found himself being dragged onto the floor despite his best efforts to dig in his heels and swat the hand away.

It had just seemed like another night at the Last Drop. At least that's how Blaine Anderson felt until _he_ walked into the bar. Every pair of undead eyes in the room focused on the new comer, and the shift in attention cut through the air like a razor blade. Blaine's interest peaked, as well as his building excitement as the alluring stranger began to move toward his table. Sixteen? Seventeen? He assessed, weighing in his mind whether the boy was a 'fang banger' or just out on a jaunt to satisfy his curiosity. Neither mattered to Blaine. He wanted him with a shocking desperation, and before the evening was over, the ravishing stranger would be his.

However, a rival decided to scupper his plans by stepping in and dragging his prize away. Blaine tensed, his fangs on the verge of emerging. It took every last ounce of his self control not to leap across the dance floor and tear the other vampire's throat out. Instead Blaine swirled the remnants of his bottle of True Blood before finishing it, straightened from the booth, and then casually strode toward his intended target. The boy's fear was palpable; ten miles could  
>have separated them and Blaine would have still been able to smell his distress. That only strengthened his resolve as he grasped his opponent's shoulder and whirled him around. His eyes blazing, Blaine declared for all to recognize, "He's MINE."<p>

Under normal circumstances, Kurt would have protested. Strenuously. He didn't _belong_to anyone. But when the dark-eyed vampire growled at the man who'd been accosting him, Kurt found himself closer to swooning than anger. He was momentarily light-headed and had to fight the desire to groan aloud at the sound of the man's voice. God, he was sexier up close than he'd been from across the bar. A sting of pain dragged his attention forcefully from his gorgeous would-be savior and back to the problem at hand.

The first vampire apparently wasn't interested in relinquishing the pretty bit of fresh blood and gripped Kurt's arm hard enough to bruise, his nails digging in through the thin fabric of the boy's shirt. "Says who? Looked to me like he waltzed in alone and stayed that way until I asked him for a dance."

"You didn't ask," Kurt snapped at once, eyes flashing, "you-you _grabbed_me." He jerked at his arm again and wondered just how stupid an idea it would be to jam the heel of his perfectly-polished black boots into the vampire's foot. 

"He doesn't want to dance with you." Blaine's eyes gleamed menacingly in the dim light of the bar. His fangs protruded unbidden as he took another dangerous step closer to the other vampire. He admired the boy's sudden burst of courage, and that only made Blaine want him that much more. No one else would have him, no one else would ever touch him again. "This is the last time I'm going to repeat myself; he's mine." Blaine cut his gaze toward the object of desire, staring deeply into those impossible blue-green eyes. "Aren't you?"

"Yes," Kurt whispered, sure he'd lost his mind in agreeing to any such thing. The vampire was a complete stranger no matter what the bartender had said. He swallowed and found his feet already trying to take a step toward the man just the same only to find himself shoved unceremoniously in that direction.

"Fine. Take 'im. Not that fucking hot anyway." The vampire glared at the pair of them before pushing back into the crowd.

Kurt let out a shaky breath and slowly turned to look back at the vampire who'd staked his claim so boldly. "I... I don't even know your name..." Despite that fact, he wanted nothing more than to lean into the shorter man's arms and see what he smelled like, what he tasted like.

Blaine keep his dangerous gaze fixed on the other vampire until he was well out of sight. Only then did he allow himself to relax and luxuriate in the presence of the beautiful mortal before him. "Well, I don't know yours either," he countered, retracting his fangs and offering him a warm smile. Clasping his hands behind his back, he leaned forward and drank in the stranger's intoxicating scent. He whispered close to his ear, "It's Blaine."

Kurt almost dropped the drink that was half-forgotten in his hand but recovered some of his cool at the last moment. "Blaine," he breathed, unable to resist rolling the word across his tongue to see how it sounded. Realizing that he was expected to respond in kind, Kurt finally found his voice once more. "I'm Kurt." /And I have absolutely no idea what I just got myself into./ Instead of moving away from the vampire, however, Kurt found himself leaning in closer, his hand raising, uncertain of where to fall and wanting so badly to rest against the dark curls at the back of the vampire's neck.

"Kurt," Blaine echoed, unable to believe the luck that had brought this impossibly beautiful mortal to him. With a suddenness that was certain to take Kurt by surprise, he grasped his outstretched hand and whirled him around. Kurt's back flush against his chest, Blaine groaned at the intimate contact as he snaked his arm around that slender waist. His hips swayed to the throbbing club music with a fluidity that suggested he was making love instead of dancing. He breathed in Kurt's intoxicating scent, which was more powerful than ever before. Blaine felt his fangs itching to sink into that flawless throat as his lips hovered closer. "What were you thinking coming here?" he murmured. "You could've been eaten alive."

"I-I don't see why," Kurt stammered, unable to completely get his bearings with the vampire's body tight against his own and their bodies moving together in a way that was definitely crossing the line between sexy and lewd, not that he minded. He'd spotted plenty of other mortals, many of them who were, but Kurt's estimation, far more attractive than he was himself. He managed to set his drink on the tray of a passing waiter. The idea of bothering with it had fled his mind entirely. It was worth whatever he'd paid for it to have had the bartender point this man out. /Crazy... but excellent taste./ Kurt's arms draped around Blaine's neck almost casually, the gesture surprisingly comfortable. The smell of the bar - beer and cigarettes - clung to Blaine's curly hair, but somehow Kurt didn't mind. He breathed the scent in instead and sighed. "Nothing special."

"I beg to differ," Blaine countered, finding it damn near impossible not to steal the air from Kurt's lungs with a kiss. "They're all watching you." His lips were close to the mortal's ear again, whispering, "They all want to tear me apart to get to you." He could feel the other vampires' hungry eyes, but now that he had made Kurt _his_, no one would dare touch vaguely wondered if Kurt realized the connotations of his claim? "If I hadn't made you _mine_, there's no telling what would have happened." He didn't want to scare the mortal, only make him understand. /Why does he smell so damn good?/ "This's your first time." It was a statement, not a question. "Have you ever met a vampire before?"

It was all so strange that Kurt wasn't sure if he should be offended that he was presumed to be ignorant - which, of course, he _was_ - angry at being made a possession or turned on by the fact that the vampire was so fixated on him. Maybe even flattered that the others wanted him as well? Kurt glanced around as discreetly as possible and was surprised to note that Blaine was right. Quite a few others were staring at them rather openly. He shifted in closer to the vampire, surprised to find that he rather liked the idea of Blaine protecting him. Finally he shook his head, which was almost resting on Blaine's shoulder now. "No," he answered quietly. "I... this... this is my first time coming to a place like this." Unsettled and uncertain but grateful all the same, his lips almost touched the chilly skin on Blaine's ear as he whispered, "Thank you."

It had been a while since Blaine had heard those two words that it came as something of a shock. Turned almost a year ago, his life was still new and wild; Blaine had indulged in things he'd never dreamed possible. He had lived more over these past few months than all of his seventeen years alive. Tonight he had planned to quench both his thirst and his lust with a random fang-banger; he never expected someone like Kurt to walk into the _Last Drop_. "You don't have to thank me," he murmured in return. "Would it surprise you if I said my intentions are less than pure? I'm not that noble, Kurt." He drew back and gazed deeply into those mesmerizing eyes. "I wanted you the minute you walked in. That's why I made you mine."

Determined that he wasn't going to come off as completely useless and passive, Kurt pointed out, "If you recall, I'm the one who was coming up to you to start with." He blushed under the intensity of Blaine's stare but didn't back down or look away. It was strange to realize that he was the taller of the two of them and yet somehow it was the vampire whose presence immediately seemed to assert itself as the dominant one. "Who says my intentions were _pure_, Blaine?" Despite the blush, Kurt was proud of himself for being so direct about what he was thinking no matter how dangerous the game he was playing happened to be.

"Is that so?" Blaine arched an eyebrow. His hunger for Kurt continued to escalate, and Blaine wondered if the mortal truly realized the potent effect he was having on not only him, but every other vampire in the bar. Already his self control was hanging by a thread; Kurt was much too enticing for his own good. "Then, you wouldn't say no if I suggested we go back to my place?" He was offering Kurt a choice, a chance to back out. It was something Blaine had never done before. And it perplexed the vampire greatly. Still, there was no doubting that Kurt was special. How special remained to be seen. He could smell the innocence on his skin; Kurt was a virgin. "You've come this far," Blaine's mouth was a hair's breadth from touching Kurt's, "there's no reason you should stop now."

Kurt let out a soft sound that wasn't a yes or a no. He could barely form a coherent thought when he was so close to kissing the vampire. "Someplace more... more quiet might be nice," he finally gasped out. Unable to keep himself from it any longer, Kurt tipped his head and felt their lips brush together. It was the barest, gentlest touch and it was enough to sent a shock of pleasure through Kurt that sent his heart racing. "Please, let's go." If his father found out he was being so reckless, so ridiculously stupid, he would be killed - and not by a strange vampire in a bar. He'd promised that he was just going to stay with Rachel, just a little "girl time," nothing to worry about. /And he'd be right. This is stupid. So very, very stupid./ Kurt couldn't bring himself to even begin caring.

Passing through a crowd of fang-bangers waiting to be admitted inside, Blaine led Kurt around a corner of the building which opened into an alleyway. His feelings racing out of control, he was crushing Kurt against the side of the brick wall and pressing their lips together before the other man had a chance to react. He explored Kurt's heavenly mouth eagerly, dipping his tongue inside. "Kurt, you're so beautiful," he chanted softly between kisses.

Kurt blushed. No one ever called him that. His father would tell him that he looked "sharp" from time to time, and the girls would tell him that this and that article of clothing were to die for, but he couldn't recall hearing anyone use the word "beautiful" since he was little and his mother would paint his toenails a sweet shade of pink when she did her own. It was so strange, and so hauntingly lovely that Kurt probably would have protested if Blaine hadn't had him pressed against a scratchy brick wall... and if the kiss hadn't been so sweet that he nearly forgot that fact. Unable to think of a proper way to respond, Kurt moaned instead and wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck to keep the vampire close.

Being the _Last Drop_'s only singer definitely had its perks. He'd been set up with a spacious loft apartment down the block, which made it wonderfully convenient when bringing someone home. Of course Kurt was far more special than the usual fang-bangers who wanted to be fucked and fed upon; Kurt was _his_ now. Blaine opened the door and switched on the soft lighting, revealing a beautifully furnished space, elegant and functional. Kurt appreciating the decor, however, was the last thing on Blaine's mind at the moment. "Tell me," he whispered, nuzzling into his throat. "This is your first time, right?"

Color flooded Kurt's cheeks, obvious now that they were in a properly lit space. He ducked his head despite the fact that Blaine couldn't see him from the vampire's current vantage point. "Yes," he whispered softly, heart pounding so fast that Kurt was fairly sure this was what having a stroke felt like. He clung to Blaine almost desperately, afraid that if he allowed any time or space between them that he might lose courage. The apartment around them was well-furnished, lovely actually. Kurt approved wholeheartedly of the decor. He would have said so normally. As it was, the only reason he looked at all was to keep his mind from running away with him and focusing on the fact that he was planning to have sex with a strange vampire in a strange place when they'd only known each other for about ten minutes. /Thank god I didn't do any drinking if this is the sort of clear-headed decision I make while sober./

"There's nothing to be ashamed about," Blaine assured him, tipping Kurt's chin up to meet his gaze. "It makes tonight that much more special." Another kiss to those soft lips and he was leading Kurt toward the bedroom. It staggered Blaine to contemplate how anyone-mortal, vampire or other-had not indulged themselves in this intoxicating creature. Perhaps it wasn't luck but fate that had brought Kurt to him tonight? It was a romantic notion, and one that Blaine was more than happy to revel in. His bedroom was enormous, housing a bed that could have comfortably slept four. The semi-darkness was expelled when Blaine took the time to light several candles, the mood fairly dripping with enchantment. His smile seductive, he sat down on the edge of mattress and drew Kurt toward him, embracing him as he gazed up into that angelic face. "You're not just _mine_ for tonight, Kurt. You're _mine_ always."

Still blushing but unable to keep a smile from his lips, Kurt tipped his head down so that their foreheads rested together. He was surprised anew at how easy and comfortable the position was. "You don't even know me. Not even my last name," he pointed out gently. It wasn't a protest, precisely, more a recounting of the facts of their situation. "You don't know me well enough to... to _want_that." And yet he'd felt his heart lurch at the words and had wanted nothing more than to hear them again. Kurt had never been stupid. He had been naive at times, overly optimistic when it came to matters of the heart. What else could explain the fact that he'd taken so long to get over his fascination with Finn? But he wanted Blaine just the same. "How can you be so sure?"

Blaine smiled, and murmured, "I was certain the minute you walked into the club." He caressed Kurt's arm, feeling the nervous anticipation thrumming through the mortal's body. "Everything I needed to know was right there in your eyes. Nothing else matters." Meaning every word, he tumbled back onto the bed, dragging Kurt along with him and kissing him deeply, hungrily. His legs tangled around Kurt, while his arms embraced him as if they were long-lost lovers finally reunited. The scent, the heat, the very essence of Kurt filled Blaine and left the vampire reeling in a way he had never known before. Since being turned he had enjoyed pleasure, desire, and lust beyond belief, but never anything quite like the feelings Kurt stirred within him. His tongue caressed Kurt's, sliding together as he drank his fill of that delicious mouth. One hand disappeared up the back of his shirt, exploring the mortal's heated flesh for the first time.

Having lost his balance entirely when Blaine fell back, Kurt found himself lying on top of the vampire, his legs between the other man's. He had walked into the club that night never having really even been kissed, and now he was lying on top of the most gorgeous creature he'd ever laid eyes on. /Obviously, the world has spun well and truly out of control and I've lost my mind,/ Kurt reasoned, planting his hands on either side of Blaine's head. He had no further protests after what Blaine had said. What could he say when he agreed with every word? As little sense as it made, he felt the same way. As the embrace grew more heated, Kurt pulled away and looked down at Blaine with dazed eyes. "I want you," he confessed. It was obvious enough, but somehow it felt more official now that he'd said the words so bluntly. "I want you. I want you to... I want everything." He let out giddy little laugh.

"Everything you shall have," Blaine replied, his smile full of seduction and promises. Both hands were under Kurt's shirt now, on the warm smooth skin of his back, feeling goosebumps forming beneath the pads of his fingers. He lifted his mouth to Kurt's exposed throat, nibbling and licking and sucking excitedly. Kurt tasted incredible, and once again Blaine fought to keep his vampiric instincts from kicking in. Near desperate for more contact, he urged the mortal to put his hands in the air and Blaine peeled off the vest and slid the shirt up over his head and flung both articles of clothing across the room. He groaned with desire and approval; before him was an alabaster expanse of flesh, with perfect blushing nipples that fairly begged to be devoured. Blaine's lips and hands were on them in an instant, and he started gently mauling them with passion.

Kurt left his arms above his head in silent supplication. He gave in, trusting Blaine to take care of him and was rewarded with the sinfully sweet pressure of Blaine's mouth on one of his nipples. The peak hardened at the ardent touch, the other rising at the bidding of Blaine's clever fingers. Kurt's hips twisted against the other man's body, and he realized with a jolt that he could do that whenever he wanted. Blaine wanted him, had laid some sort of claim to him, and he didn't have to be afraid of being pushed away. Kurt bit his lip and lowered his hands at last to run them over the muscular expanse of Blaine's back. He hummed his frustration at the fabric there and gave it a tug to show just what he didn't like about the situation. "Off," Kurt ordered simply.

Blaine moaned his agreement, drawing away from Kurt's delicious chest long enough to peel the tight shirt from his body. Having taken up weightlifting to intimidate bullies before he was turned, his bare torso was an expanse of chiseled muscle peppered with silky dark hair. He reached for one of Kurt's trembling hands and laid it against his skin, shivering at the warmth. His eyes, stormy and murky, gazed into Kurt's with such passion that the abrupt bond between vampire and mortal rattled Blaine to his core. He lunged for Kurt's nipples again, closing his lips over one and his fingers over the other. It thrilled Blaine to know that no one else had ever touched him this way, that no one had ever made him feel this wanted, this special.

Unashamed in the heat of the moment, Kurt threw his head back and moaned. Maybe he was stupid for hooking up with a strange vampire, but it felt perfect just the same. Slender hips rolled in a silent attempt to find some sort of stimulation despite Kurt not being in a hurry to rush Blaine away from his current task. The vampire was delicious, his cool and fingers waking nerves and sending pleasure singing through him everywhere they went. "God that's good," Kurt murmured as he let the fingers of one hand take up residence in the dark curls on top of Blaine's head.

"Mmm," Blaine moaned, swirling his tongue around Kurt's stiff nipple. "We're only just starting," he said in a throaty whisper. As he stroked the mortal's warm skin, his fingers came to rest on the waistband of Kurt's fashionable skinny jeans. He moved sinuously, deftly unfastening the button, then working down the zipper; Blaine marveled at the size and the heat of him. Already his mouth watered at the idea of tasting Kurt's splendor. His eager hand disappeared inside of Kurt's boxers, his fingers curling themselves around glory itself. Eight inches long, the shaft was a velvet playground, with a tip that slightly pulsed. Kurt was dripping with precum. "Do you want to touch me?" Blaine grasped his wrist, brushing Kurt's hand against his own insistent bulge. "You can have anything you want... Anything, Kurt..."

"Yes... of course I do," Kurt answered, blushing as he reached down to stroke his hand over Blaine through the fabric. The vampire's jeans were all but painted on, and Kurt couldn't resist letting his hand wander to his ass instead, gripping one muscular cheek. "You have an amazing ass." The bold words left Kurt blushing furiously, but he didn't take them back. He wanted to explore Blaine's body. The very thought that the man was his to touch and taste filled Kurt with an unexpected sense of pride. Since it had worked so well the first time, he smirked and tugged at the waistband of Blaine's jeans. "Off. You have an unfair advantage at the moment."

Blaine grinned wolfishly and his eyes ranged over Kurt. The warm flush coloring the porcelain sheen of his skin made him all the more becoming, if that was even possible. He knew full well how his clothing flattered his build and hugged his taut thighs. The front panel of his jeans clearly outlined his impressive sex, and his hips arched reflexively as Kurt's hand closed on the back seam of the denim. He made a token complaint when the mortal's warm touch moved elsewhere, but then Kurt was demanding to see more and Blaine was all to happy to oblige. "Well then," his voice dropped an octave as he purred, "let's see what you think of this..." Blaine stripped out of the rest of his clothes, revealing the full glory of his arousal. His long, thick cock, freed after a prolonged and torturous confinement, jutted from a thatch of hair so dark it glistened as if wet. He stood there for a long moment, allowing Kurt to drink him in. His fangs appeared unbidden as he smiled and openly stroked himself for his new lover's enjoyment.

Given the opportunity to ogle, Kurt sat and stared quietly, lips parted and eyes bright. Being crazy was definitely worth this view. Definitely. "You're... beautiful." Even in his unsuccessful, mostly embarrassing forays into looking at gay porn, Kurt had never seen anything like Blaine. He was absolutely, utterly perfect. Finally Kurt's gaze rose to the vampire's face and his smile turned from amazed to teasing as he rose up onto his knees and crawled toward the edge of the bed. His hands rose to rest on Blaine's muscular thighs, feeling the strength there and marveling at it before he raised his gaze to Blaine's face once more. "May I?" he inquired with politeness that didn't entirely match the fact that he was a breath away from sucking the man's cock.

The passion shimmering in Kurt's eyes was unlike anything Blaine had ever seen before. It was almost as if whatever chains had been binding the mortal's desire had suddenly been broken, and Kurt was finally free to express himself sexually. "You never have to ask," Blaine purred, reaching out and pushing his fingers through Kurt's warm, thick hair. "Take anything you like. It's all yours." He pressed himself against Kurt's spectacular lips, tracing the outline of that delectable mouth with the flaring tip of his cock. Blaine trembled with anticipation, his gaze questing over his new lover's achingly beautiful body. Kurt's jeans and boxers barely clung to his slender hips now, and an audible groan of hunger wrenched itself from Blaine's throat as he salivated at the sight of those gorgeous jutting buttocks. "Damn, baby... If you think my ass is nice, there should be statues made of yours... It was made to be worshiped."

"You're more than welcome to... when I'm done," Kurt answered in a seductive purr before parting his lips. With Blaine distracted, he had his lips wrapped around the head before the vampire was even able to process the sensation. Despite the fact that he knew a lot more about giving blow jobs in theory than in practice, Kurt still felt a thrill of power at knowing he could Blaine so excited. He was hard just from looking, from kissing. Kurt slowly began to take more of the vampire's length into his mouth. He tasted something bitter and exotic on his tongue and he took hold of Blaine's ass to steady himself and communicate without stopping that it was alright to move. He was going to take every last inch, gag reflex or no.

"Kurt!" Blaine gasped, unable to fully process the sensory overload of that warm, wet, silky mouth surrounding his aching length. For someone as innocent as Kurt was, the mortal made it clear that he was more than willing to explore his pent-up desires. "That's it... fuck... So good... You're a natural," he praised, feeling his legs quaking at the pleasure coursing through him. Blaine combed his fingers through Kurt's hair, his touch trailing down over that impossibly beautiful face. Half of his thickness had already disappeared between Kurt's lips, and the slide of the mortal's tongue and the feel of his hands on his ass was so shockingly powerful that Blaine nearly spilled himself as if he were a first-time teenager himself.

Kurt fairly glowed with pride as he took more and more of Blaine's cock into his mouth. It was absolutely perfect. He'd always loved the thought of oral sex, but he hadn't realized that giving could be just as sexy as the idea of receiving. Every time Blaine groaned, he felt his own arousal throb in response as though there was some direct connection between the man's desire and his own. Eventually Kurt realized that he had every bit of Blaine's cock in his mouth and sucked eagerly only to draw back and plunge forward again. He gagged slightly but quickly recovered, desire easily overcoming all else.

How Blaine managed to remain on his feet was nothing short of miraculous. He chalked it up to his supernatural abilities, otherwise there simply was no other explanation. Kurt wolfed him down as if he had been born to it, and Blaine luxuriated in the incredible warmth surrounding his aching arousal. The electrical currents of ecstasy shooting through his body thickened his throat, and the vampire's voice turned deeper, more gruff, more sensuous, "This is what you've always wanted, isn't it Kurt? You've dreamed about it, I know you have..." By this time, the chest-wrenchingly hot smell of the mortal's body had all but enveloped Blaine and his fight for control was quickly slipping away. Another exhilarating rush of pleasure; Kurt's mouth had to be _the_ most amazing sensation in the world. "Oh, yes... You are too sweet, beautiful..."

Kurt thrilled at the idea that he was responsible for the catch in Blaine's voice. And the vampire wasn't wrong. When he'd let himself, he had dreamed of it. He'd wondered what it would be like to just give in and enjoy himself. But growing up in Lima, he'd never really had the opportunity - unless being borderline molested by someone he couldn't even stand counted. But now... with Blaine... Kurt raised his gaze to study the vampire's beautiful face and wondered what he'd finally done right to have a moment like this.

Blaine threw his head back as Kurt continued to nurse lovingly on his arousal. It was too good, dangerous even. The more pleasure that took hold of him, the faster the vampire might lose control. He was aware of the possibility of harming Kurt, but Blaine couldn't deny himself the unbelievable ecstasy. Kurt sucked him passionately, taking his girth deep into his mouth with his tongue teasing the underside of his sensitive length in a way that made Blaine want to sink his fangs in every part of the mortal's body. He managed to control his wild moans, strangling them into soft whimpers and small, keening sighs.

Much as Kurt loved the unexpected, powerful rush of making Blaine whimper and moan, he finally drew back almost reluctantly. As much as he wanted to make Blaine feel good, it would have been a lie to say that he didn't yearn for the same. Rising onto his knees, Kurt kissed the vampire hungrily and hoped that his overt desire would ease any small imperfections of technique. "I want you inside me," he breathed boldly between kisses, his arms around Blaine's neck as he tried to draw the vampire down onto the bed once more.

The heated request did not surprise Blaine at all. He already knew what Kurt wanted thanks to the heady scent of desire wafting from his incredible body. "You can have anything you want," the vampire agreed, surrendering as Kurt urged him down. They melded together so perfectly that the sensation of their skin marrying was shockingly wonderful. Try as might, Blaine couldn't get his fangs to retract and he took great care in kissing Kurt's luscious mouth. "But first," he paused and gazed into his eyes, "we should really get you out of these." He indicated Kurt's open jeans with a meaningful tug at one of the belt loops. Blaine slithered down the length of Kurt's frame, inhaling the mortal's intoxicating smell as he removed shoes and socks, then peeled off his jeans and boxers. Splendidly naked, he afforded himself a long moment to simply take in the delicious sight before him. "Beautiful... so fucking beautiful," he whispered, taking Kurt's scorching length in hand.

Kurt blushed but couldn't bring himself to look away from his cock in Blaine's hand. It was... well, it was hot. He had never seen anything so sexy, never felt anything so powerful as knowing that he could make someone so beautiful want him. As boldly as he could, Kurt met Blaine's gaze again. He felt the knot tightening in his stomach. He knew what came next in a basic sense but not in a more practical one. He wondered if he should be doing something, say something, if there was a right way to help ease the transition. The more he thought about it, the more nervous hot got, and Kurt earnestly wished he could tell his brain to shut the hell up and just enjoy the moment.

Blaine sensed Kurt's sudden bout of nerves, and he was swift the calm the mortal and help him focus on his desire alone. He leaned forward, pressing sweet kisses all over Kurt's heaving chest. It would have been easy to glamour Kurt and make his first-time butterflies scatter into the ether, but that wasn't how Blaine wanted him. Kurt was _his_ now in body, mind, and soul; tonight would be the most amazing night of his life. He continued to languidly stroke that gorgeous length from base to tip, relishing the way his touch sent shockwaves of pleasure jolting through Kurt. His lips brushed his lover's abdomen before nuzzling the soft curls surrounding his heated arousal. His fangs glistened in the candlelight as he smiled at Kurt. Oh, he was going to make feel _so_ good. Flicking out his tongue, he tasted his dripping essence...

Fear flickered in Kurt's eyes, but it did nothing to dampen his excitement. Survival instinct said that having fangs that close to your cock was a bad idea. Something else, something dark and quiet in the back of Kurt's mind thought it was probably the hottest thing he'd ever seen in his entire life. His breath caught as he watched Blaine's perfectly pink tongue sliding over the head of his cock. It leapt eagerly at the stimulation, and Kurt gasped out the breath he'd been holding. "Oh, Blaine," he whispered, knowing he could take very, very little of the stimulation when it felt so fucking amazing.

Blaine was drowning in Kurt's rich scent, which intensified and filled his very being. He licked up and down the length of that delicious shaft, which twitched and oozed even more sweet honey. Although Blaine had enjoyed many partners since being turned a year ago, he had never tasted anything quite like Kurt. He took great care as his mouth roamed over the mortal's heated length; his fangs stubbornly refused to cooperate. His tongue swirled over Kurt's churning balls, lavishing attention on them as he slowly grasped his ankles and lifted his legs up and back. "Beautiful," he whispered, his eyes widened in awe at the up close and personal view of that stunning ass. Blaine's gaze was a mixture of lust and mischief as he teased, "You did say I was free to worship you, right?"

"I believe I said something along those lines, yes," Kurt agreed as he held Blaine's stare. He felt absolutely ridiculous with his legs spread and his ass exposed, but it was a lot harder to feel stupid when Blaine was looking at him like a buffet. He shivered at the intensity of those hazel eyes and swallowed instead of pointing out that he felt like a fool. All of a sudden, he didn't anymore. What did it matter if he felt stupid if lying there that way got the vampire so turned on? "Should I be expecting some genuflecting or what?"

"Tell me, Kurt," he said shakily. "Have you ever dreamed of having your ass licked? You have, haven't you? Well, I'm going to... and you're going to love it. In fact, you'll be begging me for more, so..." His lips hovered close to Kurt's mouth, finishing, "...I want you to beg." Not giving the mortal a chance to react, Blaine was down on his knees in a flash, burying his face in Kurt's glorious bottom. His tongue flicked out, brushing that enticing opening and the vampire groaned heartily at the taste of him.

Kurt gasped at once and arched his back. "Blaine!" He had indeed fantasized about rimming, about a thousand different things, actually, few of which he'd ever really hoped to indulge in. The feeling of Blaine's clever tongue flickering over his asshole was better than anything he'd imagined. What would it feel like when he really got going? /What will it feel like when he's inside me?/ Kurt let out a whimper at the mental image, though he tried to keep himself steady as the vampire began to explore.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Blaine purred, offering Kurt another slow pass of his tongue. Kurt tasted and smelled absolutely divine! Blaine could have easily spent the rest of eternity right there devouring what had to be the most magnificent ass he had ever laid eyes upon. "Oh, you're so beautiful... so sweet..." Now that Kurt was growing accustomed to the new sensation, Blaine skillfully dipped into that quivering ring of muscle and licked his way inside. His hands roamed all over the shivering mortal, from heaving chest to twitching legs and back again. Every action screamed out the vampire's passion, his hunger for this incredible creature spread out before him.

Kurt wasn't sure if either of those things were true, but they certainly sounded that way coming from Blaine. As the man attacked with new ferocity, Kurt whimpered and twisted. He wanted to feel Blaine's tongue pushing deeper, loved the way the slick muscle pried him open. He loved every second of it and couldn't help wondering what it would be like when it was Blaine's cock instead. The thought alone sent a jolt of pleasure right to the teen's cock, and another shining trail of precum slid over the surface.

Blaine moaned as he feasted upon Kurt's writhing form. As Kurt submerged deeper in pleasure, his body opened up for Blaine and the vampire eagerly licked his way even deeper inside. His taste buds exploded with the mortal's flavor, sending him into a tailspin of ravenous desire. Although his view of Kurt's gorgeous cock was obstructed, his enhanced senses allowed him the luxury of detecting the intoxicating scent of the honey weeping from the tip. He could easily make Kurt explode from the flicking of his tongue alone. And he found that massively tempting.

It was close to being too much, felt almost too good as Blaine's cool tongue slid over his length. "Blaine," he finally gasped out, "please... please, I want... I don't want to... until you're inside me." Kurt blushed furiously at the confession. He had never said anything like that aloud before, but it was the truth. He wanted to feel Blaine filling him and stretching him when he finally came. "Please? Please let me feel you..."

"Shh," Blaine soothed, pressing tender kisses to Kurt's quivering thighs. "I know, beautiful. I want you too. You can't even begin to imagine how much. But, I have to make sure you're ready... really ready first." He slithered up the length of Kurt's body, basking in the heat of him as he brushed their mouths together again. "Can you taste it, Kurt?" Blaine purred, "How sweet you taste?"

"Bet you taste sweeter," Kurt answered coyly. He wanted to ask what they needed to do to make him ready, buy he didn't want to look utterly naive even if he was. "I just... I want you, Blaine. I want to know what it feels like to... to really be all yours."

Blaine's smile was filled with tenderness as he whispered, "You will, I promise." He stroked his fingers over the graceful curve of Kurt's smooth throat, thrilling at the rapid pulse he felt beneath his touch. Forcing himself away before he tore into the mortal's tempting neck, Blaine reached for a vial of amber-colored liquid on the nightstand and waved it before Kurt's smoky eyes. "Vampire made, this warms on contact," he explained, pouring the fluid onto one finger and gently brushing the pad of his digit against Kurt's virginal opening. "Do you like that?"

Kurt shivered at the sensation and nodded. He'd wondered what it would feel like having the other man's chilly fingers pressing inside of his body. Now he knew that there would be no cause for concern on that count. Eyes bright and lips parted, Kurt watched Blaine's every move as though it was the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen. He refrained from repeating his earlier request. Blaine knew what he was doing, obviously, and Kurt had only the blurriest of visions as to what they should be doing, what was needed before he could finally feel Blaine buried inside of him. The idea of wanting a stranger so desperately troubled him but not nearly as much as it excited him.

Kurt did not have to say a word for Blaine to know exactly how he felt. Since becoming a vampire he had quickly become adept at reading the various heady scents wafting from mortal bodies. Kurt's fairly glowed with a mixture of intense need and indescribable pleasure. More beautiful than he had any right to be, Kurt personified everything Blaine had ever hoped to find in a partner. His mouth roamed all over that smooth chest while his probing digit sank deeper, stretching Kurt's tender walls and making him that much more ready to be taken.

Kurt twisted in the other man's grasp and then stilled, knowing he wasn't helping things along if he was moving away from Blaine's touch. He wanted to feel more, to touch more, to have Blaine touch him more. "That's..." Kurt just shook his head, biting his lip and gazing down at Blaine with obvious pleasure. It was perfect. It was as if he'd been waiting all his life to be touched by the beautiful man over him. How could they feel so right together when they hadn't even known each other a full hour yet?

Kurt's body completely surrendered to his touch, and Blaine marveled at the ease with which his finger sank into the mortal's untouched passage. Slick warmth opened its way to accept his digit; the vampire could barely contain his excitement as he explored deeper, curling his finger as it brushed Kurt's sweet spot. The effect was instantaneous, with a glorious reaction from Kurt's beautiful body which left Blaine growing that much more desperate to sink his fangs into his new lover's gleaming flesh.

Kurt's body was on fire, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the heated oil. It was Blaine. It was the way the man was touching him. It was the stimulation to that spot inside of him that made Kurt feel as if his insides had turned to jelly. /What will it feel like when he's fucking me like this?/ Just Blaine's fingers felt amazing. What would his cock feel like? The other man was rather well endowed. Would it hurt? Another brush of Blaine's fingers and Kurt found himself not caring anymore. Indeed he had trouble not simply begging Blaine to fuck him _now_.

Honey dripped freely and Blaine refused to allow a single drop to go to waste. With a pearl glistening on his tongue he shared the wealth with Kurt, kissing him deeply. "Ready... you're ready now," he decided, gasping against that delicious mouth. Blaine embraced Kurt lovingly after he slipped his fingers from his passage. Slowly, taking the greatest care, he pressed the crown of his own aching length to Kurt's well-prepared opening. "Take a breath," he urged, "and trust me." Groaning, and shuddering from head to toe with pleasure, he gentle pressed his way inside.

Kurt's eyes widened further, and he gazed at Blaine as though he'd never really seen the vampire before. Blaine was beautiful - achingly so. He could scarcely stand it. That view was more than enough to distract him from the initial stretch and the way it burned, sweet and yet painful at the same time. Kurt's focus shifted as Blaine pressed deeper inside of his body. "Oh... oh, Blaine..." His expression showed nothing but the same bliss that had infected Kurt since the first moment Blaine's lips touched his own. The teen found himself shocked by the impulse to confess his love along with telling Blaine how good it felt but tamped down the urge as being silly.

Not only was the pleasure the most intense Blaine had ever experienced, but his coupling with Kurt was so frightfully perfect it left the vampire reeling. His fingers played over Kurt's firm flesh in wonder, squeezing and caressing the mortal while he sank deeper inside of him. "You feel _incredible_," Blaine beamed, his fangs glinting in the flickering candlelight. "I'll tell you something honestly; to have you here... it's just the best thing that's ever happened to me." Full sheathed within Kurt now, he made love to him with a slow, simmering passion. Blaine lavished a symphony of sexual skill on his beautiful lover, bringing his wild arousal up, letting him gently down, but never quite enough to come.

It was the third time that he'd been so close he could almost taste it only to have Blaine slow, almost still, that Kurt let out a ragged sound that was nearly a sob. "God, I can't..." He needed it. He needed it, he wanted it, and yet he couldn't bring himself to beg for anything that might mean it would be over soon. He'd never felt anything as amazing as Blaine moving inside of him, and the vampire was beyond beautiful in the flickering light. Even the sharp fangs that should have terrified him somehow only made Blaine that much more lovely, that much more amazing to watch. He couldn't imagine that he would ever stop needing this. Overdramatic as it was, Kurt couldn't help feeling that Blaine was exactly the thing he'd always been missing in his life. "Perfect... you're... this is perfect..."

"Oh, Kurt..." Blaine's bottom lip shivered, "The moment I saw you, I knew I had to make you _mine_." The sweet, intensely emotional lovemaking made the moment last forever. He explored Kurt patiently, even ingeniously, his hips rising and falling as his aching arousal dove in and out of the mortal's warm embrace. His kisses roamed all over Kurt's beautiful face, his skin flushed and gleaming with sweat. Blaine's lips trailed over that delicate throat, taking care not to pierce Kurt's skin with his fangs even as he yearned to taste the blood he could smell boiling beneath the surface. He closed his hand around Kurt's swollen length, which fairly leapt into his grasp. "I want you, Kurt... All of you," he murmured against his neck.

Kurt hesitated for only a second before whispering, "Take it. Blaine, please... take it." He didn't want to hold a single thing back when it was all so good, so perfect. When Blaine didn't give in at once, Kurt put a hand to the back of his head, silently urging him forward. It was the last thing that either of them had been holding back, and Kurt wanted nothing missing. He wanted to give every bit of himself to the vampire. "Taste me," he whispered, too far gone to even be embarrassed at the breathless plea in the words.

It was too perfect, too tempting, too right; Kurt's throat beckoned to Blaine, who rained kisses all over that flawless expanse of flesh. As they coaxed one another closer into helpless, quaking, yearning spasms of killing ecstasy, the vampire's mouth closed over Kurt's neck and his sharp fangs pierced his skin... Rich, warm, sweet, exotic liquid flowed over Blaine's tongue. He groaned, embracing Kurt tighter as he marveled at the taste of the mortal's blood. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced, and as Blaine devoured Kurt's delicious essence he climaxed in what was the most joyous moment of his undead life.

Kurt had expected the bite to be something he tolerated, something he did simply to share it with Blaine. Instead it was the sharp sting of the bite that finally sent him over the edge. "Oh, god, _Blaine_!" he fairly screamed, hips jerking and cock pulsing as the vampire sucked gently at the wound. Cumming with Blaine buried inside him was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. It was so much more intense, so much more perfect that he could hardly breathe. The feeling of Blaine's cum splashing inside of him was another jolt of pleasure to add to the list, and Kurt wondered how he kept from passing out as he clung to the shorter man's muscular body.

Ecstasy sang through Kurt's blood as it filled Blaine's mouth and dripped from the corners of his lips. What shocked Blaine was the fact that it had been the sharp tug of his fangs that had pushed Kurt over the edge. That, he decided, would definitely be worth exploring further later. As he continued to indulge in the sweetest life essence he had ever tasted, Kurt's heart beat began to slow and Blaine had to force himself away from his lover's throat before he drank too much. He gazed down at the mortal with what could only be described as a mixture of love and awe in his eyes. "What are you?" he gasped, pushing his hand through Kurt's warm, damp hair.

"Just... I'm no one," Kurt whispered back, uncertain about what Blaine meant. He felt sleepy, languid in the aftermath. Kurt knew it was in part from the loss of blood, but it was also something else. It was being lose in the man. It was the realization that he was with the person that he was meant to be with for the rest of his life at the very least. "I'm just... a boy that... no one's ever really taken notice of until now."

"They're all fools," Blaine declared, pressing soft kisses all over Kurt's flushed face. "You're the most beautiful man I've ever known, and you're all _mine_..." He paused, smiling as he added, "...Well, almost." Lifting his wrist to his mouth, Blaine sliced into the flesh with his fangs and offered his blood to Kurt. It was the final act, the bond between a vampire and a mortal. There would never be any doubt as to who Kurt belonged to. "Please?" he gently urged Kurt to drink as he pressed his dripping arm to his lover's kiss-bruised lips.

For a moment, Kurt wss horrified, but the sight of Blaine's earnest gaze eased his reaction. Kurt tentatively licked at the flow only to press his lips against his lover's wrist upon realizing it tasted nothing like human blood. Kurt's eyes drifted closed, and he found himself wondering if this was what being drunk was like.

Blaine hissed out his pleasure as Kurt's trust in him grew and he began to willingly drink. It was the most thrilling moment of Blaine's life as a vampire, offering himself to this gorgeous creature. Still fully sheathed within Kurt's flaring passage, the act as well as the borrowed blood inflamed Blaine anew and he was gently thrusting his hips, unable to stop himself from making love to Kurt all over again. How could someone fall in love so quickly? That's exactly what had happened to him the instant he'd laid eyes on the mortal. He _loved_ Kurt more than even Blaine thought possible. A ragged groan of desire wrenched itself from his throat as the mortal's warm tongue played over the seeping wound.

Though he almost hated to do it, Kurt finally drew his lips away from the wound on Blaine's wrist as the other man began to move inside of him again. He was faintly sore, but it did little to ruin the overwhelming pleasure of the sensation just the same. Kurt moaned and wrapped his trembling legs around Blaine's hips. He'd never felt so close to another person, and Blaine was... his. The thought drew a sharp gasp from Kurt, and he clutched at Blaine's back, fingernails dragging across the surface in a quiet plea for more and closer and _now_. 

Blaine hissed and arched at the rake of nails against his skin. His mouth covered Kurt's in a devouring kiss of passion. Their tongues tangled and danced; the vampire groaning at the taste of his own blood. His swollen length surged deep within his lover, and Kurt's body responded in kind, clutching and squeezing at his aching girth. He reached between them and found that his essence had had the same potent effect on the mortal; Kurt was painfully hard for him again. Blaine's fingers played over the heated shaft, whirling over the tip and back down again. He swarmed all over him with tenderness and gratitude, making love to Kurt ingeniously, patiently, creatively in a decidedly persuasive act of pushing the mortal's body to its new-found sexual limits.

The touch of Blaine's hand on his cock was too much, felt too good, but Kurt didn't try at all to stop him. He simply whimpered into Blaine's mouth and bucked into the man's hand instead. His tongue slid along Blaine's, finding the taste of blood and sweat and just _Blaine_overwhelmingly erotic. The taste alone made him want to cum again. Kurt thrust back harder against the vampire's pistoning cock, desperate despite the discomfort. "Don't stop," he pleaded breathlessly against Blaine's lips, "don't stop... I need..." Utterly incoherent in his pleasure, Kurt wanted nothing more than to cum once more while impaled by the thick length. He wanted to be filled to the brim, to feel Blaine's cum dripping down his legs and over his skin until he couldn't remember what it was like not to be overwhelmed by the evidence of their time together.

The shift of Kurt's body offered Blaine more leverage, and he began driving into his lover even harder, pushing both himself and the mortal into a further delirium of sweet wild sexual pleasure. Just looking at Kurt's gorgeous face, torn with excitement, and his lean frame straining and writhing as Blaine fucked him made the vampire nearly spill over with coming before he was ready. He had never seen anything so beautiful, nor had he felt such love mingled with such overpowering lust. "Oh, Kurt," Blaine murmured, kissing the fresh wounds marring his throat. "I know what you need... I'll _always_ know..."

Kurt didn't know what his lover meant, exactly, but he didn't care. All too soon, he felt his body stiffen and fairly screamed out Blaine's name as he came in hot torrents between them. He remained wrapped around Blaine, holding him as tightly as possible, even as his muscles trembled and threatened to leave him unable to do anything but collapse. He'd imagined a thousand times what his first brush with romance might be like. This was worlds away from any of those fantasies - and a thousand times more perfect.

"Oh, Kurt... oh, Kurt..." Blaine murmured, his fingers rhythmically stroking the mortal's spewing length. The flaring of Kurt's body around forced the vampire to come in a sudden, blinding flash. Even though he knew he was going to come again, the power of it stunned Blaine, robbing him of his senses, wrenching him in a sublime ecstasy. His feelings for Kurt was so deep that this climax was a shattering experience for him, sending him diving into a zone of rapture. His body throbbed and pulsed, and it was a long time before even a groan escaped from his throat. He didn't pass out, but it was a close call, and it took him a while to drift back to consciousness from behind a shattering explosion of bliss. Blaine was hugging and stroking and kissing Kurt, and he smiled as their lips met again.

Kurt didn't even realize he was crying until he found himself looking up at Blaine through blurry eyes. He took a shaky breath and assured, "Happy tears." It had been more perfect than he could have imagined or hoped for. It had been everything that he wanted and more. Kurt found himself thinking of the next day, of the idea of hiding behind a scarf or a high-necked shirt. He hated that idea. He wanted people to see that he belonged utterly and completely to Blaine. He wanted them to see the marks on his throat and _know_. "I... I had no idea it could be like this."

"Oh, Kurt, neither did I," Blaine murmured softly as he gazed at the tears sliding slowly down Kurt's flushed cheeks. His own eyes were filled with love as he gathered his mortal lover in his arms. "I know how you feel." He kissed the tracks of salt water. "I feel it too." They were throbbing and dying together on the same wave, their bodies linked and melting together everywhere. "I've never been this happy."

"How can I... I don't even know you and... I love you." Kurt heard the words and blushed furiously. He had thought them, yes, at least a dozen times over the time they were together, but he hadn't meant to say them. It was too soon. It was too crazy. But when he looked up into Blaine's eyes, he saw the same thing reflected back at him and was completely puzzled. "I don't understand any of it. But I... I don't want it to stop. I should be going home right now before my father notices I'm gone, but I just... I don't want to leave you."

"I can't bear the thought of you leaving either," Blaine confessed, crimson tears beginning to form at the corners of his eyes. "Stay with me, please? At least until morning?" Easing himself from Kurt's warm embrace with a reluctant groan, the vampire collapsed onto the pillows and drew his lover into his arms. "I love you too," he murmured, pressing soft kisses to the top of Kurt's head. "I loved you the minute you walked into the club." Blaine chuckled softly, "I've never said that to anyone before. I've never felt like this... wanting, needing someone so much."

"Me either," Kurt agreed, breathless with excitement and emotion and the sheer joy of lying there in Blaine's arms. "I don't even know your last name... or how old you are or..." He laughed at the foolishness and the fact that none of those things mattered. He wanted to know. He wanted to know everything about Blaine. But he didn't have to know. Those things weren't as important as the way he felt. "Mmm... s'pose I could stay for awhile. Maybe until a little before dawn. It _is_a school night."

That brought home the two different worlds he and Kurt were living in. Kurt had a mortal life with responsibilities, while he was a child of the night with an eternity of loneliness ahead of him. Blaine held him close, afraid if he loosened his grip in the slightest that this gorgeous impossible creature would fade away. "For the record? It's Anderson, Blaine Anderson," he replied softly. "I'm 17, and I was only turned into a vampire a year ago." His hands, warmed by Kurt's borrowed blood, circled the small of his lover's back. "And before you ask, I don't just hang out at the _Last Drop_ hoping to pick up hot guys. I sing there."

"Really?" Kurt perked up at that, smiling as he rested his head on Blaine's shoulder. He tipped back just enough to look into the vampire's face as he spoke. "I'm in the glee club at school. I'd like to move to New York when I graduate, be somewhere... bigger." He blushed, apparently not having intended to go on quite so much. "Anyway, we're only a year apart, then. I turn eighteen in a few months." Pale fingers traced lazy patterns on Blaine's chest. "Would it be intrusive if I asked why? Why you wanted to be turned, I mean."

"Vampires had just started turning up here in town, and I met my first encounter was with Damien-my maker." His lips brushed Kurt's soft hair again as he went on, "I think he'd been watching me for a while. Seeing me come and go from the gym late at night. I was scared and excited; I think I wanted something to happen. And I fell for the oldest line in the book; he said I was pretty." Blaine paused, arching his brows at Kurt. "Does that make me sound too easy?"

"No," Kurt answered with a hint of a smile. "It makes it sound like you needed someone and he was there. Obviously I can understand that. Boxing, hm? Maybe I should try that." God knew that getting thrown into lockers and slushied without being able to do anything about it was getting old. Kurt honestly wasn't sure how much more of it all he could take. Kurt pressed a gentle kiss to Blaine's shoulder and decided to make use of the freedom to ask questions that he'd been given. "So your maker, Damien... are... the two of you..." He gave Blaine a meaningful look, wondering where the two of them stood.

"No, we're not," Blaine said softly, offering Kurt a smile to assuage his worries. "Damien has been very good to me. Our relationship can be... intense... at times. But, I think that's true of every vampire and their maker." There was a lot Kurt would need to understand and accept, too much for one night. Blaine comforted himself with the fact that he would have plenty of time to teach him. "My turn to ask a question?" Blaine was eager to know more about the impossibly beautiful creature lying in his arms. "What brought you to the club tonight? It was very brave of you to venture into a vampire bar all alone."

Kurt actually let out a laugh at the suggestion, but it was bitter instead of mirthful. "I'm not brave. I just... I'm tired of doing what I'm supposed to do. I keep trying to be what people need, and it's never right." That wasn't entirely fair, and Kurt allowed, "To anyone but my father, anyway. I'm tired of being told there's something wrong with me whenever I try to be myself. It isn't fair." The words were petulant, and Kurt blushed, glad that at least there was only a small age difference between them even if there was a yawning gulf of differential experience. "I'm just tired of it. I wanted to do something just for me."

Blaine could understand that, even as he suspected there was more motivating Kurt's actions than he was revealing. "Even if you don't think of yourself as being brave, I certainly do." He was combing his fingers through Kurt's hair now, gazing at him warmly. "You really have no idea what vampires are like, do you?" he asked with genuine surprise. "If you could have only seen the way they all looked at you. I... can't explain why you're so different, but you are. Everything about you smells so _good_. And your blood...? God, if they only knew..." Blaine shook his head. It no longer mattered. Kurt belonged to him, and no one would dare so much as lay a finger on him. "Something else brought you to the club tonight," he said slowly. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But, I could _taste_ it. You're like me, you've been bullied too..."

Kurt was indeed on the verge of not answering at first, but it seemed silly to hold back at this point. He sighed and nodded. "Yes. At school. It... it's always been there. Getting teased and thrown into dumpsters and... but it's worse lately." It had been escalating, the jocks egged on by Dave Karofsky, who seemed intent on making his life a special sort of hell for reasons Kurt couldn't even begin to understand. "I'm just tired of it. I can't..." No, he definitely didn't feel strong when he thought of the the long, jittery days of waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the day when they didn't stop at a little shoving, at the harsh words. "I don't know what to do. The principal told me that it's my word against his, and nothing would come of it if I tried to stop it and... and... it gets harder every day to make myself walk through the doors."

A visible shiver of rage coursed over Blaine's skin. Knowing that Kurt was suffering the same day-to-day terror of being harassed with ignorance and hate somehow made it worse than anything he had gone through. He wanted to leap from the bed at that moment and hunt down Kurt's tormentors and make them suffer for every vile act they had ever perpetuated. "No one's going to harm you again, Kurt," Blaine said as steadily as possible. "I promise." He tipped the mortal's chin up to catch those dazzling eyes that were filled with so much sadness it made the vampire ache right down to his core. "You've got me now."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Author's Notes:** And now we catch up with Merlin…

It had been a good night. Active, but good. Merlin smiled to himself as he closed out the register and locked up the earnings from his station. Tips were shoved in his pockets, and most of the other employees were gone already. The owner was holed up in back, but he was always last to leave. He'd told Merlin once that the captain should always go down with the ship.

Merlin ran a hand through dark hair that had grown unruly. He simply couldn't be bothered to get it cut. Only the manager's insistence that he dress better had resulted into a trip to the thrift store. Merlin now wore a pair of dark jeans and a button-down shirt in a deep gray that he'd found. It wasn't high fashion, but at least he looked presentable. That plus his affable demeanor had made him popular at the bar, enough that he made rent and managed to get his bills paid. Merlin shut the door behind him and pulled the keys from his pocket to lock up properly.

The town was just like any other Arthur Pendragon had passed through. Same houses, same people; nothing ever seemed to change during his eternal wanderings, nothing that is until tonight... He recognized the scent almost immediately, and for the first time in hundreds of years, the former prince of Camelot felt something old and disused inside of his undead heart open up. /Merlin.../ It couldn't be! There was no possible way Merlin could be alive here and now, Arthur tried to reason away the glimmer of hope. Even as he tried to dismiss what his enhanced senses screamed for him to believe, he was running, running with supernatural speed toward the source of the familiar smell. Earthy and innocent and powerful, and oh so very Merlin...

He stopped in his tracks outside of the vampire club, it's lurid neon sign the only light illuminating the front of the building. There, locking the front door, was unmistakably his former friend and servant. "Merlin?" he whispered, taking a careful step forward.

The sound of the voice was enough to make Merlin weak in the knees. He didn't believe it to be anything but a hallucination. He had wanted so much, so desperately to hear it. Even things like tonight when he'd seen the reunion of souls long since separated and then brought together again did little to help. Because Arthur was gone. For a moment, Merlin pressed his hand flat to the building to hold himself up. He didn't want to turn around and realize it was just another hallucination, another hopeful connection his mind had made unbidden. It wouldn't be the first.

But he had to turn eventually to show himself that he was being silly and too hopeful all over again. Slowly, Merlin did turn to look and very nearly fell over. His eyes were wide beneath shaggy dark hair, and Merlin couldn't quite get his jaw to raise enough for his mouth to shut. After a long pause, he took a tentative step forward, unbelieving and wanting so very, very badly. "Arthur?"

It was him. Arthur still couldn't believe it. He was rushing forward without a second thought, only stopping once he reached Merlin; an uncertain hand reached out, and his fingers brushed against one warm cheek. "How is this possible?" he whispered, barely able to speak. "I thought you long dead..." His eyes wet with crimson tears, it didn't even occur to the former prince of Camelot that the same could have been said of him.

"No... you... I thought you..." Merlin blinked, clearing the tears from his vision. "How could-" The light from the bar's obnoxiously bright sign caught Arthur's face at last, and between that and the chill of the man's fingers, Merlin understood in a flash. "Oh, Arthur..." He swallowed hard. What had happened? How had Arthur come to be this? He couldn't help reaching up to touch Arthur's cheek as the man had touched him moments before. It didn't matter what Arthur was. It mattered that he was _there_and _whole._More than anything, Merlin wanted to fling his arms around the man and hold him, but that wouldn't have been permitted even before he disappeared into the ether for centuries. The tears were back as he whispered, "I never thought I'd see you again..."

Arthur's fangs emerged unbidden; Merlin's touch set him afire. He quickly brushed away his former servant's hand before things went too far. Hurting Merlin was the last thing on his mind, not now that they had been miraculously reunited. "You wouldn't have," he started to explain, his handsome face rendered macabre with streaks of bloody tears. "If it had not been for the final battle." Memories of that dark day in Camelot flashed before him, and Arthur felt as if he were reliving the moment as he told Merlin the story, "Mordred had revealed his true self; he was not the child we knew. He was something more, much more powerful. He defeated me in battle, and I lingered on the verge of death. He changed me, Merlin; he changed me into this."

Merlin wished he could say that it was fine, that there was nothing wrong, but he knew that Arthur wouldn't believe that. The pain in his voice said as much. "I'd read... when I found my way back, I... after I got reacquainted with everything... there are a lot of stories out there." He shifted uneasily from foot to foot. "You married Gwen?" When he received a tentative nod, Merlin ventured gently, "And she and Lance... they really...? Oh." He let out a soft sigh, wishing he could do more. Wishing he _had_done more. "I should've been there, Arthur. I should've been there to protect you." The words ended with a note of pain that spoke of all the recriminations he'd lodged against himself since he came back from the faerie realm. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry that this went so wrong and that... the letter was never supposed to be good-bye." If he'd known that it might be, he would have included the one thing he didn't include. He would have said "I love you" instead of "I'll be back."

Arthur, his face a mask of torn anguish, fixed Merlin with an accusatory glare. "You're sorry? Why didn't you come back? I waited, and I thought you'd died, I thought..." He trailed off, realizing his moment of elation had swiftly turned to anger. "Yes, I was deeply upset that you had kept the truth about yourself from me. But, we'd been through far too much to allow that to end our friendship." Arthur's expression softened as he continued, "I made changes to Camelot, Merlin. Magic was no longer outlawed." Something bitter entered his throat as he continued, "Unfortunately, Mordred took advantage of that..."

If he'd been there, he could have stopped it. He could have saved Arthur. Maybe he could have seen what was going on and seen that his marriage was a happy one too. As much as he hated the idea of anyone - even Gwen, who he'd loved dearly - being with the prince (the king, he reminded himself again), Merlin wanted even more for Arthur to be happy. "I tried. I did. For so long... I... I didn't know how long. Time there is strange. Everything's strange." He shivered and looked around the empty parking lot. "Will you... will you come back to my place? It's just a couple blocks, and I want to make sure I do this right at least."

Arthur faltered, he honestly did not know what he wanted to do. Saying no after finding Merlin again after all this time would be ridiculous and pointless. As hurt and angry and confused as he felt, Arthur wasn't about to let the other man slip from his fingers again. "Yes," he answered, brushing at the streaks of dried blood on his face. "We should go, now." His head whirling from the reunion, Arthur followed Merlin the short space to his home, remaining close as if afraid his former servant might disappear again. "I can't believe you're really here," he confessed, unable to hide the wonder he felt.

"Yeah... yeah, me too." Merlin offered a smile that felt even more strained than it probably looked as he unlocked the door. "Sorry it's..." He shrugged and ducked his head. Though Arthur probably wasn't exactly living in a castle anymore, the room was hardly livable by anyone's standards. He kept it mostly clean with just a few take away packages littering the small table in the room, but the carpet was worn and discolored, the paint peeling places, and dark stains dotted the ceiling. It looked like it was a step away from being condemned. Merlin gestured for Arthur to take the only chair in the room and sat on the edge of the bed. He leaned over, elbows braced on legs that didn't quite stop twitching with nervous energy. He looked up at Arthur again and breathed out. Arthur was there. He was alive - at least after a fashion. The thought brought Merlin's smile back, brighter and more sure this time. Slowly his expression sobered. "They told me - the fae did - that I owed them. I owed them for helping, for saving me and you and... and I did. It was right, so I went. It was supposed to be a quick thing. It was. And then there was always just one more thing, one more... and the more I kept asking to leave, the more I started just _looking_for a way back, the more I realized they didn't want me leaving at all."

Merlin had been furious at being tricked, at being held, at being kept from Arthur most of all. He wrung his hands unconsciously. "I finally found one. One single tear between the worlds. I found it and I used it and I thought... but it was all different." He glanced around at the drab walls. "I was in this town, in this time and everyone... everything was gone. _You_were gone." Merlin's voice broke despite his best efforts, and he looked down again. He'd gotten used to crying, but he didn't want to do it in front of Arthur, not when the former king had so many reasons to be angry with him.

Arthur listened in silence, absorbing everything that Merlin said and feeling completely helpless. Nothing that had happened between them had been in the least bit fair. They should have remained together, Merlin and Arthur just as it had always been. The sadness and despair rolling off Merlin was unbearable, and Arthur reached over to take both of his hands in his own. "Merlin, stop," he urged gently. "Please..." He gazed into those shimmering eyes, feeling as if no time whatsoever had passed since the last time he looked into them. "I've heard stories about the fae; I was never sure how much of it was true and what was legend." Arthur had also heard about fairy blood, but he decided to keep that to himself for the moment. "If I could have found some way to bring you back, I would have. You know that, don't you Merlin? But, I thought you were lost forever."

Merlin looked down at their joined hands and took a shaky breath before he looked up again. "I know. I know you would have. And if I could have gotten back..." His fingers squeezed Arthur's almost too tightly before relaxing again. "I don't know if I could have stopped it all, but I would have tried. You deserve to be happy. You always did." Hoping that maybe they could share something for a moment that didn't involve focusing on everything bad that had unfolded, Merlin ventured hopefully, "Was it... before everything got to be a mess... were you? With Gwen, were you happy?" Part of him didn't want to hear the answer, part of him prayed that Arthur had known peace for at least a little while.

The question surprised Arthur and he replied with a hint of sadness, "For a little while, yes." He glanced down at their joined hands, feeling another jolt realizing that he and Merlin were actually together again. "Only I felt as if the whole world disappeared out from under me when you disappeared. How could I ever be truly happy with you no longer by my side?" He lifted his eyes toward Merlin's again, finding himself disarmed and frustrated and helpless against their mesmerizing charm. The faintest hint of smile ghosted its way across Arthur's lips. "I suppose it's far too late to order you to polish my shoes?"

A touch of the sadness drained from the room, and Merlin's face split in the widest smile he'd mustered since he'd left Camelot to begin with. "Bit, yeah. 'Fraid I've got a better job now. Fewer stables." His tongue flicked out, wetting suddenly dry lips. He had never thought that Arthur could possibly feel so lost without him, that it would affect the man so strongly. Merlin had thought he mourned their separation alone, or at least bore the brunt of it, but the hollow look in Arthur's eyes said otherwise. "I can't fix this, the way it happened, but I... I don't ever want to be so far away from you again." And maybe he was still playing word games. Maybe he couldn't risk Arthur rejecting him after so long apart, but at least he'd said the most important thing. He'd told Arthur that he was needed.

"Neither do I," Arthur agreed, Merlin's smile filling him with a warmth he had not felt in centuries. Losing the other man all those years ago had made him realize just how much Merlin meant to him. He would have never been able to say it when he was mortal, but now things had changed radically for both of them. "Merlin," he started, almost afraid of breaking the mood. "Can you accept as I am? I'm no longer the Arthur you once knew." He was a creature of the night, feeding on others, not the headstrong ruler of Camelot.

Merlin didn't answer at once, instead considering the best way to say it, the best way to phrase things to avoid making a mess of things. "I know. I'm not the same either. There was so much I had to hide before. Sometimes it felt like... like even with you, I was just playing a part. I don't want any lies now, and that's... things will be different. They have to be." Glad that Arthur still hadn't withdrawn his hands, Merlin gave them a squeeze and found himself marveling at the fact that for the first time, his skin actually had more pigment than Arthur's. The prince had always been tanned, sun kissed by the sun from riding so often and training so long. Now he was whiter than the eggshell sheets on Merlin's bed. "Different doesn't have to mean bad, though. It's still us. Different, maybe, but still us."

"You're really not afraid of me? Of what I could do to you?" It was a relief to know that Merlin didn't find him abhorrent. However, he didn't want the other man to totally be at ease. After all, he was an old vampire now and there were times when Arthur simply could not control himself. "As I said before, I have heard many stories of the fae. Only..." He paused, leaning in closer and brushing his nose close to Merlin's cheek. "...you don't smell any different." Arthur fixed Merlin with a curious gaze, wondering, "Do you still have your powers?" It was the first they had ever spoken openly about magic, and he hoped that his willingness to bring up the subject would put Merlin further at ease.

Merlin blushed, uncertain if that was because of the words or Arthur's sudden proximity. "Oh, yeah. I... that's why I don't smell any different," Merlin answered with a hint of a smile. "Bit of a cloaking spell. I'd be screwed at work otherwise." Eaten alive would hardly begin to describe it. Merlin couldn't help but wonder how affected Arthur might be. He was older than most of the vampires than Merlin interacted with on a daily basis. Would that mean it would be easier for him to resist or harder? It wouldn't be a fair game to play without Arthur's complicity. "Do you want me to... I could drop it, I mean. I usually do at home."

"No, please don't," Arthur insisted, drawing back. He was already having a hard enough time controlling his urges, and he couldn't imagine what might happen if the scent of Merlin's fairy blood washed over him. "Merlin, I'm sorry but it's been a while since I... fed." It seemed surreal to be discussing such a thing with Merlin after all the years of separation. Only, Arthur reminded himself, this was his life now and he wanted the other man to be able to accept both it and him. "I can barely control myself now, so please... keep using your spell?" His tone was almost pleading, his eyes haunted; Arthur pushed himself up from the bed to stop himself from lunging at Merlin, who was even more temptingly beautiful than he remembered.

Merlin felt a shock as Arthur moved away. He had never affected the man that way before. Was it just the fact that he was alive? Just his fae blood? Merlin didn't know, but it made his heart beat faster. "No, of course. Sorry. I didn't think... It's not hard. I'm used to doing it by now." None of the spells were as hard anymore. They came as easily as breathing. They flowed and shifted beneath his skin, just waiting, always waiting beneath the surface. "That's the only good that really came out of it, being there. It was so normal and easy to use my magic there. I could just... just _do_it." Try as he might to stifle his excitement given the seriousness of the moment, Arthur was the first person he'd been able to talk about it all with. "Never been able to do that before." Merlin's smile broadened into something joyful and ridiculous. "It was brilliant."

The sound of Merlin's rapidly beating heart was like the sweetest music to Arthur's ears. His hunger returned as he contemplated how warm and sweet Merlin's blood would taste, and the vampire trembled as he fought to control his urges. What helped was the other man's talk of his powers and that other realm. It alarmed Arthur greatly, and was he drawing closer to Merlin again without thinking twice about it. "You're not thinking of going back there, are you?" That terrified him; he had only just found Merlin again and he didn't want to lose him.__

Merlin's expression went from bright to startled. "No! No, Arthur... no." He shook his head to emphasize the words. "I was lucky to get back this time. I don't know if... no. This is my world. This is where I belong. I'm not leaving you again. Besides, I may have to hide it more here, but I can still do the same things." Never before had he been able to show Arthur what he was capable of, and the thought brought Merlin's smile back. A few gestures and the mini fridge in the room opened of its own volition and a bottle of True Blood levitated out and over to Arthur. "No microwave, but..." He shrugged, hoping it would help just the same.

Arthur stared at Merlin in amazement; it was quite a sight seeing the other man using his magic so openly. Many, many years ago Merlin would have been executed for even entertaining such thoughts. /It's little wonder he was forced to hide this from me.../ "Thank you," he said, plucking the bottle out of thin air. Arthur was not fond of True Blood in any way, shape or form. But, it turned out to be exactly what he needed with his intense craving to taste Merlin clawing at him. He downed the contents all in one go. "I'm glad you're staying." Arthur wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand. "I've felt so... lost without you. I think I would long for the True Death if you disappeared again."

"Haven't known what to do with myself without you either," Merlin confessed. "Apparently darning your socks and polishing your armor was more fulfilling than I ever realized." He grinned at the other man and plucked the empty bottle from Arthur's hand before flinging it casually in the trash. "D'you live here? In Lima, I mean?" If Arthur lived somewhere else, Merlin realized he wouldn't hesitate to leave his job and uproot himself to follow. They'd come together again after far too long an absence, and he wasn't about to give up on the man now.

"No," Arthur shook his head, "I wander from place to place; I don't really have a home." There was more than a hint of sadness in his voice, even as he offered Merlin a soft smile. "I've never had any reason to stay... until now." If this little town was Merlin's home, then it would be his too. The idea of parting from the other man again was much too painful to contemplate. "I'll have to make some kind of arrangements during the day," Arthur said, half to himself. "In the meantime, I can sleep in the ground." Flitting from city to city with nothing permanent to hold onto, he was certainly used to it.

Merlin shook his head at once. "No. Look, you can stay here. I mean, I know it's a dive, but it's someplace. There's a closet, which, yeah, not so secure normally, but you've got a pet sorcerer." He smiled, hoping to ease some of the tension rolling off of Arthur and sway him. "Stay? We'll figure something out. Maybe I can work someplace else during the day sometimes, make some extra cash so we can get something bigger." Mostly he just felt an overwhelming urge not to let Arthur walk out the door. Merlin was terrified that if he did, he might not ever see the man again.

"Alright, I'll stay," Arthur agreed, taken aback by the undeniable panic in Merlin's eyes. "Only, you don't have to fret about money. I might not look like it anymore, but I actually have the means to buy just about anything I want." He smiled, settling back down now that his craving for blood had been a little sated thanks to the bottle of that synthetic garbage. "That spell of yours must be pretty powerful; I can't even find your scent." Merlin had always had a rich, earthy smell about him, but even that was gone. It disrupted Arthur's vampire's senses to being in someone's presence and not be able to detect anything.

Visibly relieved at Arthur's willingness to stay, Merlin sank down into the flimsy office chair across from Arthur. Having the man there made him see all his mismatched belongings in a different light. "Yeah, well, can't be too careful. Got warned by the manager when I was hired, so I've been incognito ever since." He shrugged and tapped his fingers on the table only to realize he was getting on even his own nerves. "Sorry. It's stupid, but... y'know this stuff all came from thrift stores and dumpster diving and it's been fine until now. Can't quite wrap my head around the King of Camelot sitting in a chair I got from behind an office supply store."

Arthur chuckled softly; it had been a while since he had genuinely laughed, and the sound was so unfamiliar that it took him completely by surprise. "Well, I guess we're even there. I still can't believe you're here and you're _real_." He glanced down at the chair, then back at Merlin. "And believe me when I say that your apartment is a palace compared to some of the places I've stayed." That was an understatement. So many things had happened to Arthur since he and Merlin had parted that it would take several centuries to recount them all. Having secreted money away in banks all over the world, the former ruler of Camelot could find something more than adequate for himself and Merlin where they were ready. "This will do fine, Merlin."

Merlin grinned in response and nodded. "Yeah, okay," he agreed, watching Arthur with open curiosity. "It's a lot to go through. I mean, just... years of it. And I don't know any of it. Didn't even know you were married until I read it and then... well, lots of the stories seem sort of wrong. Like I'd read about me doing this and that and... and I wasn't even there." It had made him feel even worse to think that somehow history - or legend, at least - gave him credit for any part of Artur's success as a king. Until the end, he suspected Gwen had been far more influential. "I wish I had been. Wish I could've seen."

"Those last days, I'm almost glad you weren't there to see Camelot fall." Sadness and bitterness passed over Arthur's face like a cold shadow. Again, memories flashed before his eyes unbidden and the former ruler was quick to brush them away. "Perhaps if you had been by my side, things could have been different. Maybe I wouldn't have been turned into... _this_." Arthur's shoulders lifted and he was quick to add, "I never thought I would thank Mordred for anything, but at least we are able to be together again."

"I won't say I'm grateful to him, but I'm grateful for you, grateful to have you back," Merlin answered earnestly. He watched Arthur for a moment. It was difficult to find the lines of time on his face, though when he looked long enough, Merlin could fine a few, faint traces that showed the years which had passed after his disappearance. "Someday I'd like to hear about it. Bad and good. It's... it feels like another lifetime, but I miss everyone. It was... it's been hard adjusting to being alone all the time."

"Merlin," Arthur started softly. The urge to embrace the other man was overwhelming, but he managed to control himself for fear of harming Merlin. "You're not alone anymore. Better or worse, we're together again." He smiled softly, desperate to lighten the mood. "And I promise, no more polishing armor." Taking a chance, he eased out of the armchair and rejoined Merlin on the bed. Arthur draped an arm across his shoulders, in a gesture that was hauntingly familiar and all at once shockingly intimate. "So, do you think we'll be alright? Vampire and sorcerer?"

Merlin just barely resisted the urge to rest his head on Arthur's shoulder and simply smiled instead. "S'pose so. In this day and age, we could probably produce our own buddy movie. Think I'll stick with the bartending, though. Better tips." He looked over at the other man and then ducked his head, a sheepish smile still playing on his lips. "Think I've said it already, but I'm glad you're here. Can't remember the last time I smiled this much in a night."

"Me either," Arthur admitted. It was crazy, but it felt as if no time whatsoever had passed between them. For all intents and purposes this could have been another night in Camelot. Merlin's becoming flush grabbed Arthur's attention, and the sudden rush of attraction he felt brought back even more memories. Of moments when little glances had meant the world to him. His vampiric instincts threatening to return, Arthur was quick to brush such irrational thoughts aside. "I'm thankful for your magic, Merlin. Otherwise I fear every vampire would have tried to get a piece of you." He admired the other man's throat, relieved to find it just as flawless smooth as ever.

Unaware of the scrutiny, Merlin shrugged. "Yeah, well... not exactly in the job to pick up guys. I mean, pick up anyone," Merlin covered with little grace. He winced and tried to hurry on, "Occupational hazard to get hit on some, but, honestly, it's... I'm not interested. Besides, I can take care of myself." Bright blue eyes met Arthur's. "Beat you if you remember. Maybe not fair and square, but..." He shrugged and smirked. "We've all got advantages."

Arthur caught how hurriedly Merlin tried to cover his 'pick up guys' remark, and noted the immediate rush of warmth that colored the other man's pale cheeks. He had always suspected that his former servant fancied men-there had been more than a few hints, not to mention the underlying sexual tension between them-and this seemed to only confirm Arthur's assumption. "We certainly have," he agreed, feeling more than a little flustered. After all these long years, it was foolish to keep his attraction to Merlin a carefully guarded secret. But, if they got too close now... Would he be able to control his baser instincts?

As the awkward silence stretched out, Merlin finally rolled his eyes. "Okay, we're both a little old for the pronoun game, yeah?" He tapped his feet nervously on the carpet as if to discharge some of the awkward energy hovering between them. "Um, so... I guess maybe it's not a huge secret or anything... especially considering the, y'know, magic and..." Merlin licked his lips, straightened his shoulders, and forced himself to actually look at Arthur. "I like guys. I mean, I'm... y'know, I'm gay." He was pretty sure that there were a few extra "y'know"s in the mix, but he was proud of himself for having been bold enough to make the confession. Lying or hiding the fact seemed absolutely and utterly stupid given their situation, a fact he'd realized rather quickly after trying to cover it. It was instinct to lie to Arthur - an instinct he wanted to leave well in the past.

"It's not a big deal or anything, honestly. Still me. Not going to, like, try to shag you or anything." /Never did before./ He shrugged and smiled, still feeling awkward and exposed. "Bit of a shame about you not having an entourage anymore. For a straight bloke, you always had brilliant taste in eye candy."

"Oh..." It wasn't the most brilliant response in the world, but it was the best Arthur could manage as Merlin's confession sank in. He didn't want to blurt out, 'I always suspected as much,' or something equally uncouth. "Well, thank you for being so honest with me," he eventually managed, offering up a warm smile. "I..." Arthur paused again, almost letting slip the truth about himself. If we were to tell Merlin, might they act on the information? Becoming a vampire had released the former ruler from the shackles that had bound his mortal urges. He desired Merlin, and had secretly done so for some time. However, giving into passion could only result in harming Merlin, despite the sorcerer's powerful abilities. And Arthur had no intention of doing that. "I... think you'll have to settle for just me. I no longer travel around with anyone anymore."

"Oi, don't either," Merlin returned, elbowing the former king in the ribs none too gently. "Got me. Granted, I don't think I quite rank up there with Gawain or Percy or-" He broke off before he could get to Lance, realizing that was probably a sore subject. "Anyway, not much to look at, but you've got me. Not going anywhere. Not now. I mean, unless _you_go somewhere. But then we're going together. You aren't getting rid of me now. Not after all this. Not again. Not happening." His internal clock honed to a vampiric schedule already, Merlin sighed. "Almost sunrise. Will the closet do for tonight? I'll spell it to make sure nobody but one of the two of us can get in. Be safer than some weird hole in the ground. Cleaner too... even with my old trainers in there."

Arthur chuckled at Merlin's ramblings, "I have truly missed you." He clapped a hand on Merlin's shoulder, then stood up and investigated the closet. It was just large enough for him to lie down comfortably in. "Perfect," he declared, stretching out on the floor and pillowing the back of his head with his hands. Arthur glanced up, raising his eyebrows at the same time. "Will I see you again... before you have to go back to work?" He sounded more worried than he cared to admit. The idea of being separated from the other man so soon after reuniting with him terrified Arthur in a way that shocked him right down to his core.

"Always wondered why the closet was almost bigger than the bathroom. Then I remembered I lived a block away from a vampire bar," Merlin answered with a smirk before nodding. "Yeah, should do. I'll have to get there just after sunset, but I don't open tomorrow, so we can have breakfast together. Y'know, such as it is." He had a nice stock of True Blood on hand, and while it wasn't ideal, it was fairly clear that Arthur hadn't been taking care of himself in that regard. They were definitely going to be changing that. Merlin kicked gently at Arthur's tennis shoes - still somehow nicer than his own, of course - and added, "Sleep tight," before gently shutting the door. He muttered a few simple incantations, and that was all it really took to see that the man would be secure until morning. After stumbling through a shower, Merlin pulled on some threadbare sleep pants - since his normal habit of sleeping in the nude sounded ill-advised with company - and curled up to sleep with a smile on his face for the first time in a long while.

Arthur wore a similar smile, and he remained awake until the rising sun lulled him to sleep. During those last moments of consciousness he pondered the miracle of stumbling upon Merlin again. It had seemed like an impossible dream-one that Arthur had given up hope of ever coming true a long, long time ago. But, here they were together at last as if no time whatsoever had passed between them. Then there was the fact that Merlin was gay. Now that confirmation of Arthur's suspicions definitely threw him off-kilter. If he revealed to Merlin that he fancied both women and men where might that lead? Already it had taken every ounce of his willpower not to force himself on the sorcerer, who seemed to have grown more desirable than ever before. If he harmed Merlin, he would never be able to forgive himself. Deciding it was best to not only stay silent on the matter but also keep his desires in check, Arthur finally closed his eyes and entered into a day filled with oblivion.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Author's Notes:** Smut, Glee and Merlin characters mingling about, and some blood drinking. It's a fun night out on the ol' town!

When Merlin finally opened his eyes, he experienced a surreal moment of uncertainty. He sat bolt upright in bed, disappointed at the idea that it had all just been a dream, and then noticed that he'd bothered to put pants on and grinned. With that settled, he lay down, burrowing into the pillow for a few minutes more until the annoying whine of his bedside alarm broke through the sorcerer's attempts at rest. "Fuck," he muttered, slamming his hand down on the device before he finally managed to pry himself from the bed's warm embrace. A short burst of stumbling around in the kitchenette in the corner to pour some cereal and microwave a cup of coffee followed, and Merlin finally plopped down at the same table that served as his desk and catch-all to eat while he waited for Arthur to stir as well.

Arthur woke to find himself safely ensconced in Merlin's closet. He had been almost afraid to open his eyes out of fear of finding that last night had been nothing more than an elaborate dream. Sitting up, he brushed a hand through his shaggy hair and gave himself the luxury of a nice, long stretch. Then he ventured out and felt another massive wave of relief finding Merlin waiting for him. "Mornin'," he started, only to frown and correct himself, "Erm, I mean... Night." After all these centuries he still couldn't get used to that. He took a seat at the table and flashed an uncertain smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"Better, actually," Merlin agreed, unable to keep himself from smiling at the man. Somehow even after sleeping all night in a closet, Arthur managed to look put together. It struck Merlin belatedly that he probably looked like what he was - a bachelor who'd just dragged himself out of bed and hadn't even bothered to transition from pajama pants to proper clothes yet. "There's more True Blood in the fridge. Have to see about getting a microwave. I hear it's a lot less, y'know, disgusting all warmed up." He followed the statement with another massive bite of Captain Crunch and wondered when and if it would ever stop feeling surreal to see Arthur sitting in his grungey apartment.

"You'd think with all their technological marvels they might have invented something that actually tasted good," Arthur groused as he straightened from the table and rummaged around in the refrigerator for a bottle. He was fairly starving, and being close to Merlin again did not help matters. He popped a _True Blood_ open and grimaced as the fluid hit his tongue. "I'll go and get us some money tonight," he declared, anything to take his mind off the foul mixture sliding down his throat. "Then we can start looking for a place for both of us." Arthur sat back down, his fingers tracing the outline of the bottle. He smiled, finding himself gazing at Merlin again. "I still can't believe it. That you're really here... I mean back, with me."

Merlin supposed he should have protested the supposition that he'd be alright with moving on Arthur's dime, but he honestly didn't care. He hated the place himself, and he really couldn't see Arthur putting up with it. And then there was the thought of them getting a place together. It wouldn't be like before, him living halfway across a castle from Arthur. At most they'd be across the hall from one another. He flushed and stood. "Uh, gotta get ready," he explained, scrounging up a clean pair of jeans and a button-down shirt that was only partially wadded up in a drawer of the dresser. The structure swayed ominously as Merlin darted into the bathroom but didn't topple over. As he dressed, Merlin reminded himself firmly that he had assured Arthur not ten hours before that he was still the same person. That meant being friendly, maybe a little sarcastic, but definitely did NOT include flirting or drooling or fawning. "Right," he muttered, looking at his reflection and taking a moment to try and tame hair that had grown just a bit too long to be tamable anymore. Eventually he couldn't come up with any excuses to delay and shuffled out to the other room to smile at Arthur. "Wanna come? To the bar, I mean. Bit more welcoming when it's open."

Arthur caught himself staring far too long at Merlin while the other man readied himself for work. If it were possible, Merlin was even more beautiful than he remembered. His fangs itched with temptation, and Arthur downed even more of the loathsome _True Blood_ in an effort to sate his hunger. "How about if I meet you there later?" he offered. "I really want to see about procuring some funds for us." Arthur decided not to mention the possibility of finding someone to feed upon. That synthetic rubbish wasn't helping in the slightest; if he could drink real warm blood, then maybe he could prevent the deplorable act of launching himself at Merlin's throat. "Do you mind? I won't be gone long, I promise."

"Yeah, 'course," Merlin answered, breezy despite the fact that he hated letting Arthur out of his sight. It was patently ridiculous given the fact that the former king was obviously capable of taking care of himself. He would have been long dead otherwise, vampire or not. He repressed a random urge to kiss the man good-bye and settled on a brief wave instead. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," he challenged before shoving his hands in his pockets and starting off for work.

Securing the funds for a larger place had been relatively easy, especially with his fortune scattered at all points around the globe. All the time he was away from Merlin, Arthur ached to be with him again. Deep down a part of him feared that Merlin would simply vanish again, and he would be alone and empty... Shaking such thoughts from his head, Arthur felt the clawing hunger for blood returning which no bottle of _True Blood_ could ever hope to satisfy. /Merlin.../ It was tempting, dangerously tempting to want the other man. Even with magic shielding Merlin's scent, the sorcerer's blood sang out to him to taste. /No, I can't.../ Before he even realized he was there, Arthur found himself at the _Last Drop_ where a line stretched outside of mortals and vampires anxious for entry. He shivered like a drug addict, knowing he would have to find someone to feed upon before he saw Merlin and did something he would regret.

Gillan had been in line for what felt like forever. He just needed... god, he didn't even really need to get inside. He wanted to get in, yes, but only so that he could find someone to come back outside with again. The blond bit his lip as he thought of finally satisfying the aching hunger to be taken again. He let out a sigh and leaned back against the building. All at once, he felt eyes on him, a prickling sensation on the back of his neck. When he raised his eyelids once again, there was an achingly beautiful vampire standing not three feet away from him. His heart pounded with sudden hope, and he stood up, pushing away from the wall. "You look like you could use some company," he ventured.

Arthur could have happily lunged and devoured the tempting mortal dangling in front of him like a carrot. Unfortunately, ever since the Great Revelation, there were rules to follow if he did not want the True Death upon him. "Too right," he agreed, his eyes raking over him. "Would you like to go someplace a little more... private?" Whoever had chosen this particular location for the bar had done so wisely. There were many dark, secluded alleys to choose from. As Arthur drew closer to his willing prey, the scent of the mortal's boiling blood overwhelmed him and his fangs appeared unbidden.

/That hot _and_an accent?/ The young man felt his knees go weak. "Please," Gill agreed without the slightest hesitation. The danger didn't bother him. It was what he wanted. He felt nothing but excitement as he slipped out of the line. There were more than a few jealous eyes on him as he moved in closer to Arthur and walked with the man to an alleyway not far from the bar itself. "You can have anything you want," he assured. Part of him hoped that the strange vampire wanted more than just to feed, but even if he didn't, it was definitely going to be a good night.

"Are you sure about that?" Arthur reached out to brush his fingers across the mortal's cheek. Flushed with warmth and ripe for the picking, the boy probably had no idea just how much danger he was truly in. "I'm starving," he purred, leaning in closer and inhaling his scent. Arthur drew himself back, pressing him against the cool bricks of the building. The mortal was lovely, not as beautiful as Merlin but the experience would not be unpleasant in the least. "Tell me your name? I'm Arthur." Manners were something that had never left the former king even as he began to press hungry kisses to the boy's jawline.

The boy let out a soft moan. "Gill... I'm Gill." Just the touch of the vampire's lips had his jeans feeling a size too tight. "Meant what I said. I'm not scared." His hips jerked involuntarily against Arthur's. "I want it... need it so bad..."

Fang bangers were the new junkies, Arthur had quickly come to learn. Being taken by a vampire was how they received their high. He had not encountered that many because he preferred to hunt his prey. But, he couldn't deny himself when one was as willing as Gill. He groaned as he felt the mortal's insistent arousal, and Arthur's vampire instincts had long ago abolished any mortality or guilt he might have felt over indulging himself. His lips brushed Gill's throat while his hands worked to open the mortal's tight jeans. Arthur's fingers disappeared inside and curled around his scorching hot length. "I want you, too," he whispered, his fangs dangerously close to piercing Gill's skin.

Gill shuddered as the gorgeous man touched him. "You can have all of me." If something happened, would it really matter? His mother was too drunk most of the time to have any idea whether he was there or not. If he went missing she probably wouldn't even care except for not having someone to go buy her cigarettes. Someday it would probably happen. Gill knew that. He'd accepted it a long time before. Maybe someone would take a liking to him, want him more than once, even give him a clean bed to sleep in sometimes. Maybe he'd just die. Gill just wanted to enjoy the moments left to him, to feel every last bit of pleasure he could wrench from a world that seemed far too cruel most of the time. One pale hand raised and fisted in Arthur's hair, drawing him forward. "Take it," he pleaded.

With a suddenness Arthur was certain took Gill by surprise, he twisted the mortal around and tugged off his jeans and underwear. He wet his fingers and pressed them inside of Gill's firm, round backside without preamble. For someone who had probably been taken by more vampires than even Arthur could imagine, Gill was surprisingly tight. Sensing that the boy thrived on pain, Arthur wasted little time in preparing the way. He fished his arousal from his own trousers, then launched himself forward, burying himself fully inside the grasping heat of Gill's body. At the same time his fangs pierced the soft flesh of Gill's throat, and Arthur groaned as a river of delicious blood flowed into his mouth.

Gill stifled his cry of pleasure by biting into his own arm. It hurt. The tearing pain made black spots swim in front of his vision. It was _perfect._He thrust back to take every last inch as Arthur's cock as the vampire tore into his throat. "Yes... yes... oh, god..." Gill was desperate already. It was quick and hot and dirty and exactly what he'd needed. The venom or whatever it was that came along with the bite flowed through Gill, turning pain into the most exquisite pleasure.

Arthur thrust fast and ferociously into the clenching heat of Gill's willing body. He drank down the mortal's life essence, tasting the intense desire Gill felt to be taken and claimed. Holding him tightly against him, Arthur himself was desperate to have both his lust and hunger sated. He couldn't face Merlin again with these feelings raging through him. Since being turned so long ago, he had never feared harming anyone as much as he did Merlin. He stroked Gill in time with his thrusts, gulping down the crimson tide which flowed from the mortal's throat.

It took no time at all for Gillan to gasp out his release, cum spattering against the dirty wall in front of them while Arthur's teeth held him in place and the man's cock drove into him hard and fast. The boy shuddered and twitched despite these restrictions as he felt the first taste of real peace he'd had in weeks. He had no words to express how perfect it was being fucked to climax by the vampire while the man drained him until he was lightheaded, so he kept silent save for whimpers and moans he simply couldn't hold back.

"I'll keep that in mind." Arthur was kind enough to pull Gill's pants back up, and then readjusted his own. "Will you... be alright?" He frowned, concerned he had taken too much despite the mortal having willingly offered himself. His attuned senses could barely detected a heartbeat, and without stopping to think twice, Arthur pierced his wrist with his fangs and offered Gill his blood. Perhaps it was due to his guilt over having used the boy as a means to sate his desire for Merlin, but the former ruler of Camelot retained a semblance of his humanity and he couldn't very well allow the boy to collapse in a dark alley. "Drink," he urged.

Gill just stared at the vampire for a moment, uncertain. None of the men he'd been with before had ever seemed to care if they left him bleeding and shaken in an alley. The teen gave himself a moment, buttoning his jeans up again, and then leaned forward. The taste on his tongue was strange and sweet. It reminded him of red wine more than of blood, something rich and sharp, almost exotic. Gill let out a soft groan as he felt renewed strength suffusing him, the blood doing its work quickly to perk up his flagging heartbeat and tired body.

Arthur watched carefully as Gill drank his offering. Giving his blood was an act Arthur did not take lightly. He'd realized a long time ago how powerful his essence could, and what effect it had on mortals. Whether he liked it or not, he would be bound to Gill now. But, Arthur decided, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing... If he needed to sate his desires as a way of not harming Merlin, and Gill was offering himself willingly... "You should be feeling much stronger now," he murmured, finding himself rather fascinated with how Gill's lips closed over his wrist.

Gill drew back, taking the words as a gentle urging that he'd had enough. His dark eyes were wide as he gazed back at the vampire. "Anytime you want me..." The words trailed off, but they both knew what came after. He was Arthur's whenever the man wanted him, needed him. If he'd thought for a moment that Arthur would accept, he'd have offered to go with him at once, to be available at the man's side.

"Take care," Arthur said, leaning forward to press a gallant kiss to the side of Gill's mouth. He felt as if he could face Merlin now without completely losing control. A part of him hated having to use another mortal to achieve this, but Arthur simply had had no other choice. Departing the alley, he made his way back around to the front of the club where most of the long line had dispersed. He vaguely noted an attractive Asian man leaning against the wall as he ducked inside.

The night air was brisk but not unpleasant, and Merlin felt good as he readied the bar for the night. He nodded his hellos to the manager as the man made his way into the back office. Soon enough the doors were open and customers began to trickle in. Spotting a familiar face, Merlin gestured almost frantically for Blaine to come over. He'd hoped that things turned out as well as he suspected when sending Kurt over the night before."So?"

Blaine grinned like a bona fide idiot as he approached Merlin. "I owe you big time," he replied as he leaned against the bar. "Best night of my life, and that's no exaggeration." He kept glancing over his shoulder, surreptitiously searching the room for the first sign of Kurt. Of course, Blaine would smell him long before he ever stepped into the club. But, he couldn't stop himself from looking. "How about you? Something happen?" Blaine noted a distinct change in Merlin. "I don't think I've ever seen you smile so much."

"Arthur... he's... it's nuts, but he's here. He's back. He's fine." Merlin couldn't stop smiling. He hadn't bothered to explain even a vague version of his situation to many people, but he'd offered Blaine at least some of the highlights of his lost love - one-sided though it was - and he was glad now to have someone to share that with. "Well, I mean, he's, uh, he's a vampire, but he's good. Fine. Here," Merlin repeated, still sounding completely giddy. "It's brilliant. And I'm so glad it was good with you and Kurt. Knew it would be. I knew the two of you'd hit it right off." /Because I've seen you do it before./ "Should we be expecting you to sod off and get married in Vegas or something soon?"

Blaine's dark eyes grew wide as saucers. "_Really_?" He could barely believe it. "That's wonderful! Is he here? Arthur, I mean?" He took time out from scanning the crowd for Kurt to see if he could locate the mythical Arthur he'd heard so much about. When he didn't find anyone who matched his description, Blaine felt deflated as he also failed to spot Kurt. It worried him slightly. After last night there was no doubt that Kurt was most definitely _his_. Only, being mortal, Kurt had a mortal life and rules to live by. If he was unable to make it to the bar tonight, Blaine realized he would be absolutely crushed. And that new-found feeling of overwhelming passion shocked him radically.

"Not yet. He's supposed to come later." Merlin was visibly excited by the prospect. He thrummed with energy, cleaning, chatting and pouring drinks in tandem without showing any signs of slowing. "I'm sure Kurt'll come." Given how visibly besotted Blaine was, Merlin couldn't imagine that Kurt wasn't feeling the very same way. Merlin read a flicker of something in the vampire's dark eyes and reached across the bar to poke him in the chest. "Y'don't have anything to worry about. You don't. Honestly."

Blaine eyed Merlin suspiciously. "You say that like you know _something_," he pointed out. Ever since he'd first met Merlin, the bartender had a knack for saying things with hidden meanings that usually turned out to come true. He smiled and shook his head, adding, "Whatever gives you all this insight, I'll never doubt it again. Kurt, he's... well, he's perfect." Blaine fairly glowed as he talked about him. "It's crazy, I know it sounds that way, but... I feel like I've been waiting my whole life to meet him."

"You have been," Merlin answered simply. He hadn't given away all his secrets to Blaine, but he rather enjoyed playing the part of enigmatic sage sometimes. "Just didn't know it till you found him. God, it's brilliant, though! Arthur and Kurt showing up in the same night... it's like things are finally going right." Merlin could almost feel a change in the air, one he hoped meant that life could only get better and better. "D'you feel it?"

Arthur froze in the entrance of the _Last Drop_. His eyes blazed and every muscle in his body tensed as he spotted the other vampire being much too friendly with Merlin. His fangs appeared unbidden, and it took every ounce of his willpower not to launch himself across the room and tear the perceived interloper's throat out. He stared daggers at Blaine as he slowly approached, interrupting with barely concealed jealousy, "And who is this?"

Merlin was oblivious to the gleam of anger in Arthur's eyes, too blinded by his own pleasure at the opportunity to introduce the pair to one another. "Arthur! This is Blaine. Blaine, this is Arthur." He was grinning like an idiot and couldn't even bring himself to care. He was so happy he could have burst. "I've... uh, talked about you a bit," he admitted sheepishly to Arthur, shrugging and running a hand through his hair to smooth it only to leave the whole mess looking worse than ever.

"Nice to meet you, Arthur," Blaine started only to tense at the palpable jealous anger radiating off the older vampire. "I... I've heard a lot about you." He snatched his hand away from Merlin's shoulder as if it were silver. Merlin probably couldn't sense Arthur's rage, but Blaine's vampiric abilities made him privy to other vampire's feelings. "I'm just waiting for my date," he clarified, offering Arthur an uneasy smile. "I think I'll leave you two alone." Reaching for the bottle of _True Blood_ Merlin had served to him, Blaine skulked off to his usual table.

Arthur turned to Merlin, his jaw set. "You and he seem... close. Is he a friend of yours... or something more?" He was completely unaware of his accusatory tone, only that the sight of another vampire touching Merlin had nearly set him off into a killing frenzy.

Blithely misinterpreting Arthur's jealousy as something else entirely, Merlin rolled his eyes. "Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I date _every_guy I know. Bloody hell... He's a friend. He works here. Sings." Merlin nodded toward the small stage tucked in next to the DJ booth. "That's all. Told you, I don't pick guys up at work. Often," he added, half-muttering the word as if Arthur might somehow miss it that way.

"I'd hope you'd be smart enough not to date a vampire," Arthur stated, still furious over the scene he'd walked in on. "Especially considering what you are," he added in a lowered tone. Frustrated more with himself than anything else, Arthur threw his hands in the air before resting them on his hips. "If you're that keen, I don't know why you even bother with all those spells." Storming away, he pushed his way through the crowd and back out into the night.

Merlin stared after the man, mouth hanging slightly open until someone down at the end of the bar snapped that he was taking too long and he remembered that he was actually supposed to be making a Long Island Iced Tea. /What the hell was that?/ He was lost. He knew that he'd missing something. That was obvious. But somewhere between missing something and having the vaguest clue what he missed, there were a few links that weren't there. "Uh, right, on it," Merlin assured the rather mortal waiting. His gaze kept straying to the door, and as soon as the drink was passed off, he bolted for it, hoping to catch Arthur and get him back inside before he walked any farther than down the street.

Arthur raged as he stormed out into the night, furious with himself over his blatant jealousy over someone else touching Merlin. He hadn't wanted Merlin to ever know about his true feelings, and how they had been unshackled from his royal duties and stubborn pride when Mordred transformed him into a vampire. Never able to admit his love for Merlin before, he quickly found that he was still covering his emotions with bluster. /That hasn't changed,/ he noted, clenching his fists reflexively. Even with the spells covering Merlin's scent, Arthur could still detect his presence. Knowing that Merlin was running after him only made things worse. Already he could feel the hunger returning, his desire for his former servant returning ten-fold.

When Merlin called the man's name, he didn't so much as turn. For a moment he considered running after Arthur, but it seemed that even after all these years, the man was painfully stubborn. /Fine. If that's how he wants to be about it, fine./ Merlin took a deep breath and turned on his heel, fairly slamming the door open as he re-entered the bar. He worked with his head down, seething and hurt and barely aware of his surroundings.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Author's Notes:** In which Gill continues to be a total slut and Mike Chang gets his groove on. For those who are curious, Gill is an OC and headcannon is that Evan Peters plays him. Yummy.

Mike sensed that the gorgeous vampire that disappeared into the bar was one of the oldest he'd ever encountered. He glanced up when a spotted another figure emerging from the alley, and it didn't take much effort to put two and two together. The mortal was rather pretty, and if the expression of satisfaction the other vampire was sporting was any indication, very tasty too. "Hey," he called out, "are you okay?"

Still dazed and tingling from his encounter with Arthur, it took Gill a moment to really register Mike's presence. "Yeah," he agreed, nodding and swallowing hard. "Yeah, I... really good." He wondered what he'd done to deserve the attention because he wanted to do it again and again. The Asian vampire was almost as stunning as Arthur, though he didn't radiate quite the same ingrained confidence. The blond leaned against the brick wall and offered Mike a hint of a smile. "Think I could manage another taste if you're interested." Thanks to Arthur's refueling, Gill was pretty sure it would be safe enough. He probably wouldn't have said no to the opportunity either way.

Mike's brows lifted in surprise. He couldn't remember finding someone quite so eager. Not to mention alluring. "Oh, I'm definitely interested," he replied smoothly. Once quiet and a little awkward in his social interactions, a whole new world had opened itself up to Mike the evening Damien had literally changed his life. Seductively charming, he had quickly learned that he could use his talents for garnering the hottest dates in all of Lima. Of course becoming a vampire had done little to dampen Mike's more romantic human notions, and he found himself leaning in closer to the willing mortal. "I'm Mike," he said, resting a hand on the boy's waist, "What's you name?"

"I'm Gillan... Gill." He rarely bothered to give anything but the nickname, but in his pleasantly delirious state, Gill would have given away his social security number and his bank account too - if he'd had one of the latter. He looked up into Mike's impossibly dark eyes and sighed. "Where do you wanna go?" The alley was right next to them, but not everybody was game for a suck or a fuck in so exposed an environment. Mike was obviously aroused, but he didn't have the desperate need that had been written so plainly on Arthur's face.

"Pretty name," Mike complimented, his gaze playing over Gill's lovely face. "We could go inside for a drink first, or we could go back to my place." Although his vampiric needs often blinded him, Mike wasn't the type to eat and run. And Gill intrigued him enough to want to make the most of the encounter. He reached up to brush elegant fingers across the mortal's warm cheek. The contact sent a shock of arousal through Mike, and he found himself hoping Gill would decide on the former rather than the latter.

Normally, Gill would have assumed that the offer of a drink was made mockingly. The vampire in front of him seemed entirely sincere, however. "A drink sounds nice," he agreed before stepping in a little closer. "Then maybe we go to your place..."

Mike's brows lifted in surprise. He couldn't remember finding someone quite so eager. Not to mention alluring. "Oh, I'm definitely interested," he replied smoothly. Once quiet and a little awkward in his social interactions, a whole new world had opened itself up to Mike the evening Damien had literally changed his life. Seductively charming, he had quickly learned that he could use his talents for garnering the hottest dates in all of Lima. Of course becoming a vampire had done little to dampen Mike's more romantic human notions, and he found himself leaning in closer to the willing mortal. "I'm Mike," he said, resting a hand on the boy's waist, "What's you name?"

"I'm Gillan... Gill." He rarely bothered to give anything but the nickname, but in his pleasantly delirious state, Gill would have given away his social security number and his bank account too - if he'd had one of the latter. He looked up into Mike's impossibly dark eyes and sighed. "Where do you wanna go?" The alley was right next to them, but not everybody was game for a suck or a fuck in so exposed an environment. Mike was obviously aroused, but he didn't have the desperate need that had been written so plainly on Arthur's face.

"Okay, how about a drink and a dance... then back to my place?" Without giving Gill a chance to react, Mike reached for his hand and tugged the mortal inside the club. The bar was filled with the undead, wannabes and fang-bangers. Music blared from the DJ booth, a new song by Madonna called _Dark Side_ which spoke of love between a mortal and a vampire. Mike noted the older vampire talking with the bartender, and with the conversation seeming tense, he decided to wait on the drink and urged Gill out onto the dance floor instead. The rhythm of the tune was hypnotic; Mike snaked his arms around Gill's waist and swayed with him to the music. "Would it be cheesy if I asked if you come here often?" he murmured in his ear.

"It would," Gill answered, unable to keep from smiling, "but valid. And... yeah, I do. I mean, when I can." The bar did have a cover, and that meant he could only come as often as he was able to actually drum up the cash to get through the entrance. The fact that Gill spent so much time dead broke had probably saved his life. "What about you? I can't really picture me not seeing you before now." The Asian vampire was stunning, and the way he moved was damn near sinful.

Mike's hand splayed across the small of Gill's back, holding him firmly in place as he ground their hips together in time with the throbbing music. "No, I'm not really much of a bar person," he confessed, dipping his mouth toward Gill's neck and inhaling his scent. Mike detected the aroma of recent sex all over the mortal, but the fact that Gill had been with another vampire didn't turn him off in the slightest. "I only came out tonight because I was hungry." He drew back and smiled almost bashfully. "Is that terrible?"

"Why most people are here, isn't it?" Gill answered honestly. He shrugged and couldn't help thinking that he'd never seen a vampire manage to look quite so effortlessly innocent. "They're here to eat or be eaten or whatever." Sure, some vampires and humans came to socialize or to work, but Gill was willing to put down money that most of the action at the bar was geared toward hooking up and getting gone one way or another. "No reason to feel bad about it, right? Just... the way things are."

Gill was right, and somehow knowing that mortal accepted the situation so readily put Mike at ease. "Well, just so you know; I really don't do this very often," he assured him. Sometimes _True Blood_ simply wasn't enough, and tonight was one of those nights when the craving for the warmth of a human's essence had gotten the best of Mike. "But, I'm very glad I came out tonight. Otherwise I might not have met you." It could have come across as a line, but he meant every word. Gill was, quite frankly, gorgeous. And Mike couldn't remember the last time he'd felt such a strong attraction to someone.

"I'm nothing all that special," Gill responded with the same earnest bluntness. He knew that he wasn't the hottest guy around, and he definitely wasn't dressed like the other people in the bar. He'd put on his best clothes too - those clothes just happened to be worn down by even most thrift store standards. "You don't do this very often, so... just for the record, you can do better. Seriously." Badly as Gill wanted the man to stay close, Mike was being honest with him. He wasn't going to lie in return.

"Well, I beg to differ," Mike countered, gazing meaningfully into Gill's eyes. "I happen to think you're the hottest guy here." As it to drive his point home, he drew the mortal closer and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Gill tasted wonderful, and Mike couldn't stop himself from deepening the contact. He pushed his tongue inside of that delicious, warm mouth and licked his way toward the back of Gill's throat. The rest of the bar seemed to disappear in that moment, leaving only the two of them as the only people who mattered in the world.

Shocked by the words and wondering how he'd managed to capture Mike's interest, Gill was too struck for a moment to do anything but be kissed. And then the vampire's tongue was sliding into his mouth and Gill clutched at the man's muscular arms and leaned into the embrace. He didn't care if anyone was watching. It didn't matter. Gill looked somewhat dazed as he drew back to look at the vampire again. "We could skip the drink part if you want," he suggested, breathless from the kiss, cheeks flush with the blood that Arthur had given him.

Mike flashed Gill a brilliant smile. "We had a deal though," he pointed out, and then noticing the bartender quickly exiting, decided, "but I can always fix you something." Reaching for his hand, Mike grasped it tightly and urged the mortal from the dancefloor. They weaved their way through the crowd and made for the exit, venturing back out into the cool night air. He didn't own a car because his little apartment wasn't too far from the _Last Drop_ to start with. Damien preferred having him and Blaine close, even though they didn't always see their sire most of the time. Mike opened the door and ushered Gill inside after the short jaunt. "It's not much, but I hope you like it."

Gill looked the place over and finally turned, rocking back on his heels as he offered Mike a smile. "It's nice." And it was. Far nicer than his house, actually. Despite being small and relatively standard, to Gill the apartment looked like a safe haven. "Don't spend a lot of time in nice places. Sure you trust me not to steal the stereo?" he joked before taking a step closer to the vampire. Gill was many things, but a thief had never been one of them. He supposed it was almost silly having a code of honor considering his life, but the young man clung to the few morals he had managed to cultivate in himself.

"I trust you," Mike replied, basking in the warmth of Gill's presence. He glanced at the stereo and the rack of CDs on the wall. Selecting one in particular, he played one of his favorite songs while drawing his mortal guest into another slow dance. Gill felt wonderful pressed against him; it had been a while since Mike had encountered someone he was this fiercely attracted to. Despite his protests to the contrary, Gill was absolutely gorgeous and it was little wonder that the boy managed to attract other vampires to feed upon him. "Would you like that drink now?" he murmured close to his ear.

"Yeah. Please," Gill agreed, uncertain of just how to play things in the setting. It was romantic. Mike was sweet. He wasn't used to either. Most of the vampires were interested in having attractive prey - or fuck buddies - but not in how they treated them. Arthur had been somewhat indulgent, but Mike was treating it like a date. Gill was utterly out of his element and wished he had a sense of how to act in such a moment. It struck him that he'd never actually _been_on a date to start with. 

Mike kept a bottle of vintage wine chilled for guests, even though he rarely entertained. He poured Gill a glass, and as the sweet music continued to play, invited the mortal to join him on the couch. "You really are very beautiful," he stressed, gazing intently at Gill. "I can't imagine how you don't see it." He noted the myriad bite marks covering his throat, and he couldn't resist reaching out and playing his fingers over the most recent evidence of feeding. "You must taste sweet to have had so many enjoy you."

Gill bit his lip and shrugged, suddenly nervous under the scrutiny. He took the glass from Mike's elegant fingers and ventured, "I just... it's... not a lot of people... It's usually just kind of a, um... functional thing." It wasn't quite the word he wanted, but he hoped it conveyed some of what he was thinking. "Most of the vamps who want a taste don't exactly feel like they need to, like, be nice or... talk to me." Often at all. And Gill didn't make them. Something about Mike being so kind made him feel unworthy. Why did Mike feel the need to dance, to drink, to say sweet things when he could have gotten what he wanted without any of it?

"I'm sorry some of them are like that." Mike felt the need to apologize. "We don't all take a bite and run. It just seems like the majority do." His fingers trailers up into Gill's hair, which was silky and soft to the touch. Once upon a time he would have balked at being so forward with anyone. Being turned into a vampire had changed many things for Mike, and he was now no longer hesitant about going after what he really wanted. "I like talking to you, and it's not just because I'd love to drink your blood," he clarified. "There was something about you. I could sense it when you walked out of that alley."

Gil shook his head. "There's... there isn't anything. I'm just some dropout Fangbanger." Gill knew where he stood in the world, and it was nowhere good. He was barely a footnote in history. He searched Mike's face as if it might reveal to him why the vampire thought he was anything special. "You... you're special. You're beautiful." The Asian vampire's skin was a few shades paler than it probably was when he was alive, and it added a strange, otherworldly beauty to his already exotic features.

Mike would have blushed if he still had the ability to do so. "Thank you," he murmured, "I happen to think you're beautiful, too." He reached out and almost tentatively brushed his fingers across Gill's warm cheek. It was sad to think that Gill didn't see anything worthy in himself. The mortal had a lot to offer, Mike could sense that even if Gill didn't believe it was true. Leaning forward, he smiled softly and asked, "Would it be okay if I kiss you now? I've been wanting to since I first saw you."

The question was so sweet but formal that Gill couldn't help grinning. "Yeah. Course you can. I don't usually go home with guys I don't even want to kiss." The truth was, he usually didn't go home with guys at all. They usually didn't want to go home with him. More seriously, Gill assured, "I want you to." He wondered if he'd see Mike enough, if they'd spend enough time together for him to get used to the unaccustomed courtesy his companion showed.

With one hand cupping Gill's cheek, Mike leaned closer and brushed the softest kiss imaginable to the mortal's warm lips. He moaned, relishing not only the contact but also the taste of him. "I was right," he smiled, "you are very sweet." His fingers swept up into Gill's hair, and Mike gave a gentle tug until he was embracing the other young man in his arms. It felt so good to simply hold someone again that the Asian vampire completely forgot about his hunger for blood. "I'd really like to take you to bed now. If that's okay?"

An uncharacteristically bright smile lit Gill's face, and he nodded. He wasn't sure anyone else in the world would have agreed with the assessment that he was "sweet," but it was unspeakably flattering that Mike thought so. "It's very okay," he agreed, stealing quick kiss before ducking his head bashfully. "I'd really like to spend the night with you. I mean, not... not trying to invite myself to sleep over or whatever, but I..." Gill floundered, realizing he'd probably overstepped a little bit. "I'd just like to spend s'more time with you."

"I'm very glad to hear that." Mike straightened and reached for Gill's hand, drawing him up to stand beside him. He pressed another kiss to the mortal's lips, this time with more lingering passion. Losing himself in the moment of tenderness, it struck the vampire just how long he'd gone without human contact. It didn't matter to him if Gill was a fang-banger, he wanted him and that was all there was to it. Leading Gill into the modest bedroom, Mike flipped on a lamp which cast red hues around the room. Then, he was taking the other man in his arms again, kissing him and tumbling down onto the bed.

Gill hesitated for just a moment after they fell together back onto the bed. He took a breath and met Mike's gaze before wriggling out of his shirt. Along with the scars of healing bite marks, his left forearm was a network of carefully placed silvery lines, scars that ranged from old to new. The boy's baggy jeans hid a matching set on his right thigh. Most of the vampires never noticed or cared, but under Mike's gaze, Gill felt self-conscious about exposing the marks that he usually kept so carefully hidden under long pants and sleeves.

"You don't have to feed me tonight," Mike offered, sensing Gill's discomfort over the exposed bite marks. He dipped his mouth down to rain kisses onto a particular jagged line in an act of tender comfort. "I just want to be with you," he added softly. Mike raised his head again, peering at Gill through a fringe of dark hair. Waves off intense need rolled off the mortal. It was clear that being used by vampires filled a void in Gill's life. That saddened Mike, who saw so much potential spread out before him. He smiled, slowly unbuttoning his shirt and allowing it to cascade off of his shoulders, revealing his sculpted torso.

"They aren't from... I did it,"Gill confessed quietly only to be utterly distracted as Mike bated his beautiful body. The man was absolutely stunning. Where Gill showed a slender build borne of youth and scant nutrition, Mike had the kind of muscles the teenager had only seen in magazines and movies. "Oh... wow," he breathed in an awed tone.

Mike might have blushed if he still had the ability to do so. He grinned almost boyishly as he reached for Gill's hand and pressed it against his abs. The warmth of the mortal's palm sent a renewed surge of desire through him, and for what seemed like the first time in a long time, Mike felt his carefully maintained control slipping. He gazed with heavy-lidded eyes at Gill, curious as to the other man's earlier comment. "What do you mean?" he whispered, "You did it?"

Gill tore his attention away from Mike's amazing body and then blinked slowly. "Huh? Oh." He looked back down at his own arm and the network of scars. "I... before I started coming to the bars... it... I used a razor blade. It helped for awhile." Gill thought of the gentle sting of the sharp blade, the satisfaction of watching the blood welling to the surface, and let out a sigh. He looked up at Mike and tried to gauge what the vampire thought of him in light of the declaration. "But when I started coming to the bars, I stopped." The more uneven scars on his neck, his arms, even his thighs told the story of his new addiction. "It's better..."

Mike's cool fingers trailed curiously over the old scars. He had heard of cutting before, only he'd never encountered anyone who practiced it. It saddened him to think that Gill had had to find solace in harming himself, but he was not repulsed by the act. "I'm glad," he said softly, leaning forward to brush his lips across a particularly jagged line. "If you ever feel the need for release, I'll help you."

Gill's eyes fell closed, and he nodded his agreement. He was happy to have the offer, happy to think of finding Mike again and the vampire still wanting him, not pretending that they'd never met the way so many of them did. "I'd rather be with you," he assured with a flicker of a smile as Mike's lips touched the once-broken flesh. "It... it helped for awhile. It's still like that, I guess. The pain... it's... I can't... it's like I can't think about everything else when the pain's there. It's easier."

"Shh, you don't have to explain anything to me," Mike soothed, kissing a pathway down to Gill's flat tummy. "I want you... I wanted you the minute I laid eyes on you..." It was true, he had found himself magnetically drawn to the mortal the instant he appeared from the darkened alley. His lips brushing the waistband of Gill's jeans, Mike slowly unbuttoned them and pulled down the zipper. Then, he was sliding the denim and his boxers down his legs to reveal Gill's absolutely beautiful arousal. He weighed the heat of it in his hand, marveling at how all 7 ½ inchestwitched in his grasp. Knowing that Gill had not enjoyed true intimacy with someone who genuinely cared for him, Mike took his time as he licked at the crown, savoring the sweet taste of him.

Gill gasped at the contact and then let out a soft whimper. It was so good it felt unreal. That the vampire didn't find him utterly repulsive only made it more fascinating. He smelled of sex and sweat and need, and still Mike was acting like he needed to be seduced and not just claimed.

The scent of Gill's heightened arousal drew a deep groan from Mike, who was lavishly working his tongue up one side of that heated length and down the other. He filled his palm with the mortal's churning balls, tugging gently as he gazed up at him. Having once hidden his attraction for men, becoming a vampire had allowed him to indulge his desires without worry. "You taste wonderful," he purred out. "It's been a long time since anyone made you feel this good, isn't it?"

Gill normally would have felt ashamed to have anyone pointing something like that out. The truth was he couldn't remember anyone ever having taken such care with him. The blond shrugged, uncertain of what to say, his dark eyes searching Mike's face. He didn't understand what the vampire wanted, why he cared so much. No one else had ever been so bent on making him feel good unless it filled their fantasies too. But Mike was different. The beautiful vampire looked at him as if he mattered somehow, and Gill wasn't sure whether to be flattered or frightened.

Mike continued to find his fascination with Gill growing as he lavished attention on the mortal's beautiful arousal. He was swallowing him down now, his lips spreading wide around his girth. His gaze remained firmly focused on Gill's lovely face, and the wonderful expressions of ecstasy his heated actions caused. With Damien meticulously teaching him, Mike had quickly learned how to pleasure another man and gain his own enjoyment from it. Of course it didn't hurt that Gill tasted divine and that Mike desired him so fiercely.

Gill had to fight to keep his eyes from rolling back in his head. It felt so good. So fucking good. He gasped for breath, shallow and quick in and out as he watched Mike. The vampire's gaze was intense and intent. Gill licked his lips, the stare turning him on almost as much as the way Mike's tongue swirled around his cock, which leaked freely as he got hotter and hotter. "Never felt so... so good," he murmured, surprised by how sharp the arousal was despite it being divorced from any pain, any of the usual things that turned him on.

Hearing that pleased Mike immensely. Still caressing Gill's ever-tightening balls, his other hand splayed itself out across the mortal's heaving chest. He played with each hard nipple, relishing the way his actions had a direct effect on that heated arousal filling his suckling mouth. It wouldn't be long before Gill spilled himself down his throat, and the vampire ached to taste the mortal's release. He wanted to please Gill, to give him a supreme moment of happiness without being used for once. Why he cared so much for him was a mystery to Mike, but he didn't spare a moment to question it. He yearned for Gill, it was as simple as that.

Mike's prediction proved correct mere moments later as Gill's whole body went rigid and he came with a cry that he instinctively stifled by biting his own lip. The mortal spilled himself as his cock pulsed helplessly into his lover's waiting mouth. He realized dimly that he'd never experienced anyone wanting to drink from him in quite this way before.

Feeding on Gill's scorching release, Mike drank the mortal down as if ambrosia itself were being pumped down his throat. He sealed his lips around the base of Gill's cock, now allowing a single drop to escape his mouth. His eyes never wavered once from the wrenching ecstasy etched across Gill's lovely face, and only when the other man was spent, did he finally draw away from his still flexing cock. The Asian vampire smiled, licking his lips before cradling the back of Gill's head and kissing him deeply. "I was right, you do taste wonderful."

Breathless and smiling, Gill gave a slight shake of his head. Bet you taste a lot better," he insisted. The young man raised his hands to circle Mike's waist. "Do you want me to suck you? Or... you can fuck me. If you want to." If just a blow job felt that good, Gill wondered what more might be like.

Mike barely suppressed a groan as Gill's warm arms welcome him. "I want you to do anything you'd like," he murmured in return. "I'm yours tonight." Another passionate kiss, and then Mike was tumbling and drawing Gill down to lie on top of him. His hands roamed restlessly over the mortal's back, reaching down to fill his palms with Gill's incredible ass. Mike ground their hips together, tensing and arching with pleasure.

Gill echoed the sentiment and took a shaky breath as he looked town into the vampire's depthlessly dark eyes. "I want you," he affirmed, rocking his ass back against Mike's cock. "I want you inside me." Though it was new territory - backroom quickies rarely led to much experimentation - Gill boldly offered, "Can I ride you?"

Mike's gazed widened, and his fangs emerged as desire sang through his system. He had never encountered someone quite as outspoken as Gill before, and hearing how much the mortal truly wanted him set him ablaze. "You never have to ask," Mike whispered, cradling the back of Gill's head and drawing him into another kiss. His fangs refused to retract, and the Asian vampire took great care not to slice Gill's lips or tongue. "Anything you want," he stressed, drawing back, "is yours."

Gill smiled and shifted, taking Mike in hand and stroking him once before using the grip to guide the vampire's cock to his entrance, still wet with the evidence of his time with Arthur in the alley. The head pressed on and spread Gill wide as he slowly sat back onto the thick length. At first his movements showed the awkwardness of uncertainty, but by the time Mike's cock was fully inside him, Gill's need had finally begun to outweigh everything else.

Mike moaned in surprise and pleasure, taken aback that Gill required no preparation in order to take him. He raised his head and gazed up at the mortal, shuddering all over from the heat surrounding his aching length. "You feel _wonderful_," he gasped, reaching up to grasp the back of Gill's head and pull him down into a passionate kiss. His tongue slithered inside of Gill's delicious mouth, mirroring his cock as it probed deeper. Mike's hips churned and he surged upward, relishing the incredible sensation of Gill's body.

Gill moaned into the kiss and tried his best to move in time with each enticing shift of Mike's hips. Already he could feel his cock hardening, trapped in the space between their bodies. All it took was a slight shift and Gill broke the kiss to gasp for air as Mike's hard cock pressed against his prostate and set off fireworks of pleasure.

Mike fought hard to control himself. It had been a while since he had last enjoyed intimacy with a mortal, and Gill felt so wonderfully warm that it was all he could do not to spill himself within that clenching furnace. The scent of Gill's boiling blood overwhelmed him, making his fangs appear unbidden. He reached between them, grasping hold of the other man's renewed arousal and stroking him in time with his thrusts. Mike's eyes blazed as he stared deeply into Gill's, whispering out his pleasure, "I've never... felt anything... like this..."

It was on the tip of Gill's tongue to ask Mike to bite him, but he refrained at the last second. He wanted to come without feeling any pain, to separate the acts. It seemed important in a way he didn't fully understand for things to be as different as possible with the vampire. Special.

Mike could sense Gill's release long before the first tremors quaked through the mortal's body. It was thrilling to know he could turn Gill on so much. His own climax was only moments away, and it took a great deal of self control on Mike's part not to lunge for Gill's tempting throat. He came so suddenly that the shock wrenched a strangled cry of ecstasy from the vampire's throat. Mike clutched at Gill, pumping his pent-up release into the other man's flaring passage.

Gill's fingers clamped down hard on Mike's shoulders as he jerked against the vampire's body. He didn't even realize he'd drawn blood as his cock pulsed and incongruously soft moans escaped him. It was perhaps the most intense release he'd ever experienced, and it had come without any pain. It had been borne of nothing but the pleasure of Mike moving inside of him and those soft lips pressing against his flushed skin.

Mike embraced Gill as if they were long lost lovers reunited after decades apart. He continued to kiss him deeply, while his hips danced and his sated length stirred the evidence of his released against those tender walls. Finally, he gently rolled Gill onto his back and laid on top of him. Mike broke the kiss, smiling tenderly down at him. "That was... no, you... _you_ are incredible," he whispered, caressing Gill's cheek. "I'm so glad I met you tonight." Something almost forlorn cast a shadow over the vampire's face despite the euphoria he was feeling. "I guess I didn't realize how much I needed someone special."

Gill looked up at the vampire with open curiosity. It had felt wonderful being with Mike, but he still couldn't wrap his head around anyone thinking he was special. "I'm not," he protested, tone uncertain. "There's a dozen guys at the club every night that are just like me. They all want the same thing. I mean, it's... I just... you're special. Different. I've never had anybody treat me like this - like, _good_."

Hearing that saddened Mike, even if he had already guessed that was the case. In his relatively short time of being a vampire, he had already witnessed how cruel the undead could be. There were times when Mike could not control his new instincts, but he continued to strive to remain as kind as he had been as a mortal. "I think anybody's worth treating well," he said softly. His fingers continued to roam over Gill's warm skin, and Mike couldn't help ghosting his lips over the other man's shoulder. "Especially you..."

Gill smiled despite the protest that was forming on his lips as he looked at the vampire. It didn't make any sense. At all. He was no one that somebody should pick out of a crowd and be interested in. He was okay. He would do in a pinch - when someone was desperate the way Arthur had been earlier that night. /Maybe he just talks a better game than everybody else,/ Gill thought as he regarded Mike's fingers on his skin with quiet fascination. For all he knew this was the last time Mike would ever look twice at him... but he couldn't quite believe that even if it made more sense than the idea that the vampire really liked him for some reason.

Although Mike was by this time starving, he made no demands on Gill. Instead he gently rolled the mortal over onto his back and took his time caressing him and plying him with sweet kisses. He noted the bruises, healing cuts and bite marks with interest, only finding Gill beautiful instead of how unworthy the mortal saw himself. His new un-life as a vampire had allowed him to see beneath the surface, to appreciate things others often neglected. "I like you, Gill," he said softly, sensing the other man's unease over his interest. "Is that really so hard to believe?"

"Yeah," Gill confessed with a lopsided smile. "Yeah, it... it kinda is." He shook his head but looked more amused than upset. "Sorry. I'm not used to not... not wondering what people really want." He reached out and cupped Mike's cheek, stroking the smooth, chilly skin. "I know you want me, I just don't get why." Catching a flash of barely-suppressed hunger, Gill's hand slid to the back of Mike's neck. He gave a gentle tug to try and pull the vampire closer. "You don't have to be hungry."

Mike's lips brushed the warmth of Gill's throat as the mortal urged him to drink. He closed flickering eyelids and lost himself in the rich aroma surrounding him, drawing him in, caressing him like a tender lover. Before he even realized what was happening, he was closing his lips on the curve of Gill's neck and his fangs were slowly sinking in. Blood, sweet and hot, rushed over his tongue and down his throat. He moaned, relishing the taste of Gill's blood which warmed and filled him.

Gill couldn't help the gasp that escaped him at the sharp rush of pleasure-pain. He was glad that Mike had made love to him first, but there was no denying the thrill of the act bust the same. His blood would soon be pumping through the vampire's veins, would become a part of him. "So good," he whispered as Mike's body pressed against his own.

Mike embraced Gill tightly, lapping at the wound and savoring the taste of his blood. It was rich, sweet and delicious! He detected something beneath the heat and desire, something old and powerful, and Mike realized with a start that Gill had fed from the blond vampire he'd seen the mortal with earlier. It came with it a surprising pang of irrational jealousy, one he swiftly pushed aside as he continued to sate his hunger. Mike felt himself hardening again, and he thrust against Gill with a gentle urgency.

Gill groaned low, pleased with the feeling of Mike's cock stroking against his skin. He let his eyes close. He savored the sensation of the cool flesh against his own and the knowledge that it was him getting Mike hot all over again. "Whatever you want," he whispered fervently. "Whatever you want, I'll give it to you." No one had ever been so kind go him, and if he could make the vampire feel good, Gill would give absolutely everything he had.

Mike continued to drink from Gill's throat, sating his hunger. He licked at the wound until the last drops of precious blood fell on his tongue. Then, he drew back and gazed at the intoxicating mortal with desire burning in his eyes. "I want you to make love to me." The Asian vampire smiled, his mouth stained crimson. "Will you, please?" He hadn't been with anyone in that way since Damien had turned him, but he wanted Gill with an all-consuming passion. Already he was opening his legs, drawing them back and opening himself up for the other man to take.

Gill froze, shock written clearly on his features. He didn't know at all what to say at first, but it became quickly evident that Mike really meant it. He wanted to be fucked. He was spreading his ass wide open and staring at him with a faith Gill couldn't even begin to understand. "I... I haven't," he confessed uncertainly only to realize that was entirely the wrong thing to say. He licked his lips and tried again, "Do you have some, um, lube?" He'd been wet and ready himself thanks to the tryst with Arthur, but Mike had no such advantage.

Gill didn't have to tell him that he had never topped before. Mike could taste it in his blood. The mortal had been used so many times-too many as far as Mike was concerned-and he ached to show Gill a different kind of pleasure. "In the nightstand," he replied, reaching over into the drawer and producing it. Although he possessed the hyper-sexual needs of every other vampire, Mike found that he rarely chose partners unless he truly wanted them. And his craving for Gill was unlike anything he had ever known. He pressed the lube into Gill's hand, murmuring, "Pour some on your finger and work it inside of me." Another smile, this time Mike's fangs retracted. "I want you to have me," he assured him. "Please, Gill?" Mike leaned back against the pillows again, opening himself for Gill to explore.

Gill nodded, glad for the gentle assurance and instruction. Mike's casual patience made him feel like less of a fool. Instead he knew what to do and what step to take to make it good. It was one thing getting off because it was hot and dirty and hurt in all the right ways. He understood that well enough. But making love? Taking someone and leaving them aching for more? That was another thing, a foreign realm that Gill was only beginning to understand. Still he slicked his finger and approached Mike with all the confidence he could muster. The vampire held himself spread wide and ready, and Gill carefully used his lube-slicked finger to tease the tight opening into relaxing as he pressed forward.

Mike welcomed the burning stretch of Gill's digit with a low rumble of pleasure. "Ohhh, yes," he moaned, licking his bottom lip. "That's it..." The Asian vampire shivered all over, his dancer's hips rotating in an open invitation for more. It had been a while but Mike welcomed the invasion, surprising himself with how badly he needed the intimacy of being taken by the alluring mortal. "You're so lovely," he told him, his throat thick with desire. "I wanted you the minute you came out of the shadows. Like a beacon piercing through the darkness." Mike's poetic display of affection was cut short as another sharp jolt of ecstasy force his head back with a groan.

"Dunno," Gill whispered as he slowly stretched the vampire, a second finger joining the first with a strange sort of grace, "most people would probably say I am the darkness." He hadn't exactly been doing a lot of clean living. Ever. He spent his life on the fringe, and that had only become more pervasive as he gave himself over to being whatever the vampire closest to him wanted. But maybe things could be different with Mike somehow. Gill watched the man's face intently and the long lean lines of his body as Mike shifted and groaned at all the right moments. "I like watching you like this," he confessed quietly.

"I like watching you, period," Mike replied, his eyelids fluttering and another low moan of pleasure rumbling from his throat. Gill had a quiet skill about him which made it difficult for the Asian vampire to believe this was the mortal's first time manipulating another man's body. "Kiss me," he heard himself beg, surprised by the intense need in his voice. "Please kiss me... while you get me ready for you?" Mike was already leaning forward, seeking out Gill's mouth as his actions force those long digits even further inside of his neglected passage. He nearly lost it, quaking violently as his cock flexed and strained for attention.

Gill nodded, blushing, as he shifted to hold himself aloft over the vampire's beautiful body. For a moment Gill lost himself, staring at the man as he brushed his warm lips over the vampire's cold ones. At first the kiss was gentle and sweet, but as Gill's fingers began to move again, his lips did as well. Soon he was kissing Mike with every bit of the passion he felt, the desperate need that the vampire woke inside him.

Gill's growing desire surrounded Mike like a curtain of heat. His kisses were alternately sweet and lustful, arousing the Asian vampire that much more with the genuine hunger the mortal felt for him. His body stretched and opened around Gill's fingers, growing increasingly impatient to experience more than just those digits no matter how incredible the sensation. Gill brought him to a trembling, uncontrollably frenzy, and with very real urgency, he drew back and locked eyes throbbing with need. "Now, I need you now... please...?"

Gill nodded and locked eyes with Mike before he positioned himself. One upside of sex with vampires was that they were all but impervious to disease. You were more likely to have your throat torn out than to ever worry about catching the clap. The first gentle thrust didn't get them far, but Gill had every intention of taking things slowly. Mike deserved that. He did. He deserved for it to feel absolutely amazing and not hurt at all, to be as sweet as everything that Mike had done for him. "Little more," he whispered reassuringly before his hips moved again and Gill's breath caught at the intimacy of the act.

It was perfect! Gill, hot and hard, moving inside of him and stretching him open so beautifully. Mike clutched at the mortal's body, embracing him and pulling him in close. It struck him how desperately he needed the contact, lifting his chin and pressing sweet kisses all along Gill's throat. "Beautiful... so beautiful," he moaned, his hips surging upward. Pleasure sang through his body, caressing Mike all over with promises of more to come.

Gill just smiled and felt a rush of relief. He had been afraid that he might not be able to make it good for Mike, that he might lack the skill to see that his lover enjoyed the experience as much as he did. Apparently the fears had been unfounded. Mike's hips surged along with his, and soon they were moving in perfect sync. It was like he'd finally found something he'd always wanted but never knew he needed, and it had nothing to do with the sex. Well, _something_to do with it, but not in the way he'd expected. Because when it came down to it, he felt something for the vampire as silly as that was. He felt something, and he'd never really let himself feel much of anything for anyone before - not even for himself.

The world stopped for Mike. It felt like his having been turned into a vampire had been preparation for this moment. It was as if he was destined to be with Gill. The mortal wrenched another long groan of pleasure from him, driving Mike crazy. He cupped Gill's face in his hands, kissing him tenderly, hungrily. Again their eyes locked, throbbing and stormy with need. It was almost shocking how well they fit together. Gill's growing confidence was evident with each deep stroke, which sent fresh paroxysms of ecstasy coursing through Mike's system. He gasped and clutched at the other man's back, roaming feverishly down his spine and filling his hands with that beautiful ass, drawing him in impossibly closer.

"Um... wow. You... wow," Gill managed as he fought to breathe and move at the same time. It was more difficult than he'd expected since Mike was - in a figurative if not a literal sense - the absolute hottest guy he'd ever been with. Gill found himself smiling down at the other man and slowing his hips just so that he could watch for a little longer as Mike came unraveled beneath him. It was amazing. Beautiful. And he didn't want it to stop.

Mike didn't want the moment to end either. Gill continued to wrench moans of pleasure from his body with each deep stroke of his cock. It felt beyond amazing, and Mike fairly mauled at Gill's pumping ass. He simply could not get enough of the alluring mortal, who was even more beautiful with ecstasy etched across his flushed face. Gill repeatedly struck that special place inside of him, and Mike was nearly climbing the walls. His dark eyes throbbed with sexual excitement as he caught Gill's. "Don't stop," he whispered, his throat clotted with need. "Please, don't stop..."

Gill nodded, though he found himself wondering how long he could really hold out. Being inside of the vampire's blood-warmed body was absolutely amazing. Watching Mike writhe and moan and knowing he'd done it was even more amazing. "Try not to," he promised, putting every last ounce of willpower he could muster into making the words true as he sank deeper into the other man. He was losing it in a big way. The whole thing was nuts. They'd known each other a couple hours, maybe, and he was already crazy about the guy - a guy who might well still decide never to speak to him again. Gill shook the idea off and thrust harder as if that would somehow let him leave a more lasting impression on Mike.

Mike dragged Gill down into another kiss, his tongue lashing out and filling the mortal's delicious mouth. He fairly whimpered, shivering uncontrollably with each heated stroke of Gill's thick cock along his sensitive passage. Gill had blindsided him completely. There was much more to him than a pretty face and a free source of blood. He fascinated Mike in more ways than one, and he was growing ever more attached to him. "I'm getting close," he warned, shocked by how quickly Gill was bringing him to climax. "I don't want to stop, but... you feel so good..."

"Let me... let me make you feel good. Please?" Gill reached down and took Mike in hand, stroking in as coordinated a fashion as his growing passion allowed. "I want to feel you..." He wanted them to cum together, and he knew he couldn't hold on for more than a few seconds more. "Give me everything. I want it," he assured, gaze locking with the vampire's. He couldn't look away when Mike looked so amazing as he edged closer to release.

"Yes..." Mike moaned, his hips twitching involuntarily as almost unbearable sexual sensations flooded his body. He prolonged it for as long as he could, clenching around Gill's thrusting length until they were both out of control, straining and quivering, mewling wildly, ready to explode any second. He cradled Gill's fantastic ass in his palms, digging his fingers into the resilient flesh. Suddenly he cried out, his body arching and stiffening, then he began undulating in sharp waves as a powerful orgasm shook him to his core.

Gill had never seen or felt anything like it. He could barely breathe as his hips jerked hard against Mike's, filling the other man with his heated release. He had never felt anything so fucking amazing or overwhelming. Gill had no idea what he said or how many endearments he whispered in the vampire's ear as they clung together and rode out the waves of their mutual release. "Tomorrow?" he heard himself whispering as he finally came to his senses. "I... can I... can I see you tomorrow?" Sunrise was coming, and time was growing short. Gill couldn't keep himself from making the last desperate bid.

"Yes, please?" Mike immediately agreed. He pushed his hand up into Gill's warm damp hair, kissing him tenderly. "Why don't you stay here tonight? I have some business I have to take care of tomorrow night. But, I'll meet you at the club." It excited him to find that Gill wanted him just as much as he did. "There's something about you, I just can't explain," he admitted, his smile one of supreme bliss. "To be honest, I really don't want to let you go at all."

"Yeah?" Gill's expression brightened at once. He was shocked to hear that the other man trusted him enough to leave him in the apartment unsupervised. Of course, Mike was the first vamp who'd ever brought him to their place at all. Usually the best he could hope for was a pay by the hour motel room, and even that was a rare luxury. "I'd like that a lot." In fact he loved the idea of sleeping wrapped up in sheets that still smelled of Mike instead of going back to his own house and listening to his mom and stepfather screaming at one another.

"Then, make yourself at home." Another kiss, sweet and tender. Mike found it impossible not to keep touching Gill. The mortal fairly begged to be touch, his alluring presence drawing the vampire in. It was easy to see why others of his kind had found Gill a delightful experience. That thought concerned Mike as he continued to combed through Gill's hair with his fingers. "Will you do something for me? Please?" His tone was soft, his eyes deep and meaningful. "Be careful? I don't have any right to ask you not to be with another vampire. But, I don't want anything to happen to you." He smiled boyishly, adding, "I like you too much."

"I will. I'll... I'll be careful and I'll see you tomorrow night," Gill assured. He didn't make promises that he couldn't keep. He could have told Mike that he wouldn't touch anyone else, but he might not have been able to manage that, might not have held to it, and Gill couldn't bring himself to lie. He didn't want to lie to the vampire. "Go on, sleep. I'll be there when you get up. Honest." And he would be. Gill intended to get up, clean himself up, and be ready and waiting the moment Mike arrived at the door.

"Good, because I really want to see you again." Mike embraced Gill warmly-or as warm as vampire could hug someone-and pressed one more lingering kiss the mortal's sweet mouth. "Night," he said, taking a moment to capture Gill's eyes, drinking them in before reluctantly scurrying off to his hidey-hole for the day. As Mike went to sleep with a smile on his face, excited over the fact that he truly had something to look forward to when he woke up.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Author's Notes:** In which Merlin is really annoyed with Arthur for being dense – as usual. We pick up just after Merlin delivers John his drink. Headcannon: John is played by John Barrowman.

"Let him go," John said, stepping out of the crowd and approaching the comely bartender. "He's not worth it if he's going to walk away from someone as gorgeous as you." Having watched the entire scene play out, the vampire had decided that his opportunity to make a play for the mortal had finally arrived. He folded his arms across the bar and leaned forward, fixing Merlin with his most seductive gaze. "I'm John, by the way," he introduced himself.

Merlin looked up at the man, registered him as a vampire immediately and tried to smile in response. It succeeded in part, and he offered, "Merlin." He wasn't in the mood to socialize, but he wasn't so stupid as to think he'd done anything but make a scene when he went after Arthur. Most people who hadn't noticed Arthur telling him off to start with had probably noticed the person serving them drinks making for the exit. "Sorry for all the... just... old friend is all. Bit of a strange situation."

"Hmm," John seemed to ponder that for a moment. "Well, I think your _friend's_ crazy to walk out on you." Strangely, he couldn't get a read on Merlin at all. There was no scent to him whatsoever, and that fact only served to intrigue John that much more. "You might've lost one friend, but gained another," he ventured, his eyes hungrily raking over the bartender's lovely unmarked throat. "Mind if I ask you a personal question? How has someone as pretty as you worked at a vamp bar and never been bitten?"

"Not big on scars," Merlin answered. He'd used the answer before, and it worked well as a quick deflection. When John continued to stare, obviously expecting a follow-up, Merlin shrugged. "Just doesn't interest me, I guess." Besides that, the few companions he'd taken home since starting work had been of the normal human variety, not vamps at all. They made good enough friends - it was nice that they understood the pains of outliving your era - but Merlin generally felt too uneasy about keeping his guard up constantly.

"Now that's a damn shame," John decided, his fingers itching with temptation to reach out and touch Merlin. "You really don't know what you're missing." Why couldn't he smell this mortal? It alternately frustrated and intrigued him. The mortal was beautiful, and John found it difficult to believe that no other vampire had managed to so much as sample the smallest taste of him. Deciding to go for broke, John ventured smoothly, "Since your friend left you all alone, how about spending some time with me tonight?"

Normally Merlin turned such offers down flat. It was repulsive the way some vampires would throw themselves at anything that moved. He didn't particularly want to be someone's bit of a treat on the side. /And what exactly do I have to go home to?/ He'd been hoping to be planning a new life with Arthur in it once again. Instead it looked like he'd be going back to his shithole of an apartment to brood. /Why should I?/ It wasn't as if he couldn't handle himself. Merlin looked the guy over from his too-bright smile to the predatory gleam in his eyes and finally nodded. "I get off in an hour if you don't mind waiting. Live close."

Now that was more like it! "It's a date, then." John's seductive powers had never failed him before, and they had worked a treat on the vulnerable bartender. Excitement thrummed through him over the opportunity to sample Merlin's untouched throat, and he determined to find out why the mortal apparently had not scent to speak of. He remained close to the bar, unwilling to allow the mortal to change his mind even if John doubted very much that would happen. The hour passed by quickly, and John ticked his head toward the door when Merlin was ready. "After you, beautiful."

The line was cheesy, but it didn't really matter. They both knew they weren't exactly going somewhere to chat. Merlin led the way back to his apartment and allowed himself a few seconds to be crushingly disappointed that Arthur wasn't there. He'd half expected a disapproving sigh and the former king rushing his companion out as soon as the door opened. Instead the were alone. Merlin felt his jaw tighten, feeling stupid for having thought it might be otherwise. "I'd give you the tour, but you had it when you walked in." Merlin shucked his shirt without any particular preamble and turned to face the vampire again. He needed to have everything driven from his mind if only for the night, and he honestly hoped John was up to the task.

John barely kept his fangs in check when Merlin bared his torso to him. "To be frank, you're the only thing here I'm really interested in," he confessed, moving forward and snaking his arms around the bartender's slender waist. Again, the lack of any mortal scent disarmed the vampire who felt lost not being able to get a proper read on Merlin. "Mmm," he groaned approvingly. "You feel good and warm." John dipped his head into the elegant curve of Merlin's smooth neck, planting kisses in a trail down to his shoulder. "I can get you whatever you need, anything you want. All you have to do is let me." Although something was blocking him from detecting more, John could sense how desperate the other man was for oblivion. It was coiled in his muscles, palpably tense and rolling off his body in powerful waves of need.

"Then less talking, more getting naked," Merlin requested firmly. He wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, not even the attractive stranger he'd brought home. The sooner he was losing his mind with pleasure, the sooner he could stop thinking about Arthur... or anything else.

That suited John just fine. Mostly all it took was one glance for a mortal to want to fall into ecstasy with him. Merlin obviously needed to forget about his "friend," and John was more than happy to oblige. He sank to his knees as he kissed his way down the length of the other man's exposed chest. Merlin's skin tasted wonderful, and John was soon opening his jeans as he dipped his tongue into his navel. "Very nice," he purred once the denim flew open to reveal Merlin's impressive length. The vampire gave it an experimental lick before slowly taking it all inside of his eager mouth.

And that was the moment that his control began to slip. It had been too long, and it felt too good. He was hard in a heartbeat and clutching John's soft, perfectly-groomed hair between his fingers. As Merlin lost focus, so did the spells, spells he had never needed when he took human lovers back to his apartment.

John's senses went wild; with an abruptness that left the vampire reeling, he could suddenly smell the mortal. And Merlin was delicious! John had never encountered a scent like it. In an instant he lost all control and was lunging at Merlin, throwing his down onto the bed and kissing him ravenously. He stole the mortal's breath away, grinding against him with an uncontrollable hunger.

Unaware of the source of his new lover's frenzy, Merlin accepted the desire at face value and responded with equal fervor. His hips rolled, and the sorcerer relished the feeling of the man's hardness rubbing against him. He started clawing at John's clothes, nearly desperate for more, for the release and oblivion he craved.

John's fangs emerged unbidden as he shifted and allowed Merlin to tear his clothes off. He groaned with relief when he was finally freed of the tight denim, his mammoth length springing forth to brush against the mortal's heated arousal. "I could eat you alive," he growled, grasping Merlin's wrists and pinning the other man's arms above his head. Merlin was effectively his to do with as he pleased, and John intended to take full advantage of the bartender's vulnerable state. He swooped in, sealing their mouths together once again in a ravenous kiss.

That was the general idea, but Merlin was glad that his partner understood they had better things to do than chat. "Want you to fuck me," he gasped out between kisses, the very idea of that huge cock buried inside him going a long way toward making Merlin feel better about the evening.

"Oh, you can count on that," John promised, lunging forward and growing drunk on the exotic scent of Merlin's body. His tongue flicked out, swabbing a path across the mortal's throat. /Fuck!/ Merlin's skin promising even more delicious thrills ahead. "Then, I'm going to drink you..." The vampire's fangs itched to sink into the pulsing vein in the other man's throat fairly begging to be pierced.

Merlin tensed at the proclamation and shook his head. "No. Look, I told you I don't do that. Not starting now." /Not with you./ If Arthur had wanted... but that was the whole problem. Arthur didn't want, was apparently disgusted by him in fact. "Just sex. Take it or leave it."

That did absolutely nothing to deter John, who was too far gone to stop now. He bared his fangs at Merlin, growling, "I'm going to take it all! I'm going to drain you dry!" He lunged forward, holding the mortal down with bruising force and started to bite that lovely, exposed throat...

...When the door burst open, falling off its hinges as Arthur stormed into the room. With lightning speed he grabbed the back of John's neck and hurled the other vampire away from Merlin. John crashed into the wall, startled by the interruption and the sheer force. Stunned, he scrambled to his feet and challenged him... only to back down when he sensed the immense age and power on display before him. He grabbed his clothes and vacated the apartment in a blur of speed. It was all Arthur could do not to go after him and rip him to shreds. But, his main concern was for Merlin and he was by his side in an instant.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his fingers exploring Merlin's throat for the slightest nick. Arthur reeled at the exotic aroma wafting from the mortal's body, and he suddenly realized why the other vampire had lost control as he wrenched himself away from Merlin before he could harm him.

Merlin drew his legs up and grabbed blindly for the comforter, covering himself and shivering. He didn't understand why Arthur was there to begin with, and he couldn't quite decide whether to be grateful for the rescue since his own instincts for battle had been dulled through long disuse or revolted at the realization that he still needed any rescuing at all. Merlin crossed his arms over his knees and let his head fall forward onto them. "Stupid," he muttered darkly. "Shouldn't've... I just..."

He swallowed hard, glad that at least Arthur couldn't see his face. He felt ridiculous being caught literally with his pants down, ridiculous for having been foolish enough to think he could keep control when everything felt so out of control. "I just thought you weren't... that you were leaving again..." Trembling with the effort, Merlin reached out and pulled the magic close around him, blanketing himself again with the cloak to hide his scent.

Arthur visibly relaxed as Merlin's intoxicating scent disappeared, even as he gave an involuntary whine over the loss of it. Merlin's words stung, and Arthur found himself moving closer again, kneeling beside the bed. "Truthfully? That was my intention." Before he could stop himself from blurting out too much, it all came tumbling from his lips. "It... was too painful seeing you with someone else. I made assumptions that were wrong, but I've never felt such... jealousy before." There simply was no other way to describe what he had been feeling. "Perhaps I should have told you this many, many years ago." A small, self-depreciating grin tugged at the corners of Arthur's mouth. "But, you of all people know how stubborn I can be."

The words were enough to get Merlin to look up again, and he stared at Arthur blankly for several minutes as if he might say something else that would suddenly make sense of the warring thoughts in his head. Because Arthur was definitely not gay. But when nothing followed, Merlin took a slow, steady breath and stared hard at the other man. "You... were jealous? Of Blaine? Of... you thought that we were together and..." He was terrified to say the wrong thing, to jump to the wrong conclusion no matter how obvious the conclusion seemed. It wasn't any easier to focus when there was nothing but a couple of feet and a thin comforter between them either. Finally he said firmly and finally, "If you are screwing with me, Arthur Pendragon, you will be spending the rest of your immortal life as a frog. A particularly slimy, ugly frog."

Arthur's smile intensified as he ducked his head in a very mortal, almost boyish manner. Trust Merlin to make him feel more at ease in his own inimitable way. "It always seemed like such a non-issue," he murmured, glancing back up. "I was the heir of Camelot, you were my servant. There would be no crossing of lines, even if I might have wanted to." It was all out in the open now, and Arthur was surprised to find how easily the confession flowed once he'd started. "Merlin, I kept my attraction to men a safely-guarded secret while I was mortal. The only reason I kept it to myself last night was out of fear of harming you. I cannot remember the last time anything scared me quite so much."

Merlin immediately looked indignant on the man's behalf. "You wouldn't," he protested at once. "Honestly, whatever might have changed, I know better than that. You wouldn't hurt me." The warlock swallowed and hesitantly added, "I was maybe a little less than honest last night too. I thought if I told you how I felt about you... I thought you'd leave again." The thought summoned a fresh bout of tears. "I wouldn't be able to stand it. Maybe it's selfish, but..."

"Hey," Arthur started, reaching out to tenderly cup Merlin's cheek and brush away tears with his thumb. "There'll be none of that now. Merlin, I..." He paused, aching to kiss those half-parted lips before him. "...I don't trust myself around you. Believe me when I say I appreciate your trust in me, but when I caught your scent... I nearly went wild." It was the truth. Arthur had had to call upon his last reserves of will power not to tear into Merlin's throat. "I know that leaving won't solve anything. I tried tonight, only to be drawn right back to you. Somehow I _knew_ you needed me." He bowed his blond head in frustration. "How can you possibly want me when I could hurt you so badly?"

Merlin knew it wasn't exactly the right response when Arthur was so obviously torn up, so obviously worried, but he laughed just the same. "Honestly, Arthur... do you have any idea how many times you've almost gotten me killed? Any idea?" Catching the blank look on the vampire's face, he rolled his eyes. "Nothing new. Promise. And... look, okay, so I wasn't exactly on my game earlier, but he wouldn't've done it. Not because of him. Because of me." Merlin's eyes flashed gold for a moment, and he smiled slightly. "I spent a long time taking care of you without you ever knowing it. I can take care of me too. Besides, you can't tell me that you feel something for me after all this time and then go back to treating me like I have leprosy or something. Not fair."

"No, it's not fair," Arthur agreed, fascinated by the way Merlin's eyes flashed despite his intention not to allow himself to be drawn into their shared feelings. "You're right, but... it can't be helped. Merlin, I'm a _vampire_. I can't control myself; how I feel, what I want." He straightened and eased down on the edge of the bed, trying desperately to ignore the fact that Merlin was completely naked under the blanket. "That's why I went ballistic seeing you with your friend. Granted, I would have been jealous and jumped to the wrong conclusion anyway. Only, when I was mortal, I wouldn't have wanted to rip Blaine apart for touching you."

That was a valid point. Merlin found himself stumped for a moment and sat quietly, just staring at Arthur for a long beat. "Okay. Right. Yeah, you... yeah." He swallowed and finally nodded as if having decided something on his own. "That's fine. So we... I mean, things don't have to change. Y'know, between us. I just don't want you leaving." If that meant suffering blue balls for the rest of his natural life, it actually sounded kind of worth it. /I'm nuts. Absolutely nuts./ "Meanwhile, um, maybe you can turn around for a sec while I get dressed?"

"Yes, yes please," Arthur agreed, getting back on his feet and moving to find something else to focus on out of the window. Although he _ached_ to see Merlin gloriously naked-especially now that the other man knew his true feelings-it would only intensify his desire and lead them both to a place they could not go. "I won't leave," he promised, trying not to focus on the rustle of clothing behind him. "But, I can't make any promises. If this... situation... doesn't work out." He seemed at a loss, bowing his head in a gesture that resembled defeat. "I _can't_ hurt you, Merlin. I won't allow it to happen."

Once he had on a t-shirt and jeans, both beaten up to the point of being something he rarely wore outside the apartment, Merlin moved over to the man and put a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "You won't." He waited until Arthur turned and met the man's gaze without flinching. "You don't trust yourself, and... and I understand that." He'd never experienced what Arthur went through every day, that gnawing hunger, but he'd spoken to friends about it and understood the bloodlust in at least an academic sense. "So don't trust yourself. Trust me, Arthur."

Merlin's touch inspired another reckless surge of desire, and Arthur closed his eyes as he mentally fought against the intense hunger he felt. "I do, Merlin," he whispered, "I always have." He finally allowed himself to luxury of gazing upon Merlin again, only for his unbeating heart to ache with desperate longing. When he looked into those eyes, he saw nothing but the purest deepest love which he so desperately wished he could return. "I... fed tonight," he suddenly confessed, unwilling to keep anything from Merlin. "I thought it would help... with the hunger. But, it only made it worse."

The confession surprised him, and Merlin frowned slightly. First and foremost, he frankly didn't like the idea of Arthur being that intimate with someone - but he was quick on his feet enough to recognize the hypocrisy of that and refrain from saying as much. Instead he warned, "This is a small town. They watch. Not as closely as they should, maybe, but... be careful." The thought of Arthur being caught at such a thing was terrifying. To have him live for so long, to finally find him again only to- "Please?"

"Merlin, I've managed to survive this long," Arthur pointed out. That went without saying. How many centuries had pass by now? He had lost count. "Believe me, you have absolutely nothing to worry about." Smiling softly, the vampire caressed Merlin's cheek in an achingly tender gesture. He drew his hand back just as quickly, mentally chiding himself over his actions and knowing that no good would come from them. Desperate to find a change of topic, Arthur latched onto his earlier activities and said, "Would you like to start hunting for a home?"

Though Merlin wanted to groan with frustration, he pasted on a smile instead. "Yeah. Let's see what we can find." More and more places were keeping night hours now that vampires had officially become a solid revenue stream - not to mention all the humans who worked to support that evening business. "You take the lead. I know what's within my means, and we're in it, so..." He shrugged and the smile became a bit more genuine. Crazy as it was likely to drive them, Merlin couldn't help but feel better at the idea that they would be spending at least the quiet days in the same space.

"No worries; I probably have more than enough to buy this town ten times over." That was no exaggeration. With the amount of wealth Arthur had secreted in bank accounts over the centuries, he and Merlin would never have to want for anything. He lead the way out into the night and found a real estate agency specializing in vampires in town. The enthusiastic agent seemed intent on showing them the largest properties available, but Arthur pointed out that something nice and modest would be fine for them. As it turned out, there was already a home that seemed perfect for them as it featured a built-in hidey-hole for a vampire. They were escorted to the brick, two-bedroom house and Arthur surveyed their surroundings. "I like it," he told Merlin. "What do you think?"

The place was quiet, unassuming - and utterly unlike anything he would've pictured Arthur choosing. When the former king surveyed the whole of it with apparent pleasure, Merlin's eyes widened. "Really?" He recognized how out of place his own reaction was a second later and smiled instead. "It's perfect." It felt like home, and Merlin honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd felt like he had one of those. He couldn't think of anyplace more perfect for the two of them even if he had trouble picturing Arthur being happy with something so modest. Maybe they were going to be just friends, to try and keep it entirely platonic, but the thought that the house would be _theirs_ thrilled him just the same.

"Yeah, I like it," Arthur confirmed, hands on hips as he wandered about the place. It suited both their needs beautifully, being somewhat secluded as well as not too far away from Merlin's place of employment. Of course Arthur could have just insisted they live on his fortune instead of Merlin bartending, only he knew the mortal would never agree to that. Learning that he could close the deal on the house in a matter of days pleased the former king very, very much. They departed after a while and headed back toward the apartment. "I hope that was alright with you?" he asked Merlin. "Sorry I didn't give you much choice in the matter. Am I still behaving like a ruler?"

"Bit, yeah," Merlin agreed with a laugh, "but I think if you weren't, it wouldn't feel quite like you. Hard enough seeing you in jeans." Maybe it was for the best that they had some time to get to know one another without anything but friendship to worry about. Things had changed in more ways than the obvious ones. "But you don't need to feel bad about grabbing the place. It's honestly perfect. Didn't figure it would be your thing, but it's... couldn't've picked anything better - and couldn't've afforded any of it." There would always be a gulf between them in that sense, and it was something Merlin had gotten comfortable with centuries before. He needed something to do, a focus for his energy, but he was under no illusions that he'd be contributing much to their bottom line. He unlocked the door to the apartment and then closed it behind Arthur. "Sometime... when it isn't too hard... I want to hear the whole story. From you."

"It's a long one," Arthur warned, a faint smile curling his lips. "Luckily, I have all the time in the world to tell it." A sense of relief washed over the former king now that he and Merlin would have a proper home to call their own. It almost brought normalcy back into his life, which was a feeling Arthur had not experienced in centuries. "You know, you really don't have to keep bartending at that club," he pointed out. "I have more than enough money to take care of the both of us." He didn't want to offend Merlin with the suggestion, only keep him safe from all of the vampires who would drain him dry if they had the slightest inkling of what his blood contained.

"Guess I just want to feel... useful," Merlin observed with a shrug. He knew that he didn't really need to continue with the position, but he hadn't decided yet whether he could handle giving it up. The sorcerer sank down into a mismatched chair and regarded Arthur quietly for a moment. It was a luxury just to see him, to have a real image instead of the ones he'd gotten used to conjuring in his mind. "I'll think about it, though. Kind of gotten used to the place, but... we'll see." He knew it would be stupid to give up the position just to spend more time with Arthur. The man had forever, and he knew that he had at the very least a well-extended lifespan to look forward to himself. And yet it seemed like a crime to give up a single moment after being apart so long. "If someone had told me the day we met that one day I'd actually miss you, I would've told them they were daft."

"I just want you to be careful, Merlin," Arthur said, his gaze serious and his jaw set tightly. "You shouldn't trust vampires-not even me-and with good reason. We will say or do anything to gain your confidence, anything to taste your blood. We're animals, ravenous animals; all of us." He made no bones about it. Merlin had to understand what he was facing every night working in the midst of the undead. Arthur still had that vampire Merlin had recklessly taken home to deal with. He might not have gotten a taste of Merlin, but that vampire had smelled the intoxicating aroma of the sorcerer's blood. It was only a matter of time before he returned for a bite. /Not if I can help it./

It killed Merlin to think that Arthur honestly saw himself in that light. "You aren't. Arthur, you're... yeah, okay, so there's something else now too, but you're still you. You are. I've seen it. What you did tonight... that's who you are." He wanted so badly to touch the man that hit hurt, but he refrained for both their sakes. If they were going to keep a line drawn in the sand, it had to be as firm a line as they could carve. "You're right, though. I have to be careful. Tonight was... was stupid. There's a reason I don't bring guys like that home - and, no, I don't mean vampires." /That too, really, but.../ "Sleazy players. Stupid. Not my type, honestly."

"I hope not," Arthur murmured, "because you're much too good for that." He glanced away from Merlin, not wanting to let his gaze linger too long. It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep his emotions to himself. Especially now that Merlin knew how he really felt about him, how he'd always felt. /Idiot. You should have never told him./ It had been a major mistake on his part, but there was little he could do about it now except to keep his distance while trying to keep Merlin safe from those who might want to harm him... Including himself.

"Got a point there. Seems sort of beneath me," Merlin observed with only the faintest hint of a smile to betray the fact that he was joking. "I mean, until the past few months, it had been, like, decades or centuries or something since I slept with a guy that was anything less than a knight of Camelot. Seems like a big step down." It felt a bit like name dropping even if he hadn't named anyone, but it was hard not to throw it out there. Despite feeling like kind of an ass, Merlin didn't want Arthur thinking he'd been doing nothing but pine pathetically for him for years. Arthur wasn't the only one who'd had a life of his own.

"Oh?" Arthur bristled at that bit of information. Merlin had slept with one of the knights? Jealousy welled up inside of Arthur, spiking through him like a sharp dagger. He clenched his fists in an attempt to calm himself. It was ridiculous to get himself worked up. Still, he couldn't help feeling... wronged in some way. "It seems I was more blind than I realized," he said with a hint of caution. "I would never have guessed." Arthur straightened and paced the room, trying to hide his anger. He paused at the window and gazed out into the night. Morning would come soon. "I'm worried about that vampire you brought home," he said, focusing his ire elsewhere. "He _smelled_ you, Merlin. He knows you're different."

Merlin felt ridiculously pleased with himself for the brief flash of jealousy in Arthur's eyes. It wasn't that he wanted to hurt the man, but part of him couldn't help it, couldn't help that it bothered him thinking that Arthur hadn't exactly been alone either. The reminder about John brought Merlin's momentary elation crashing down, and he scowled. "Yeah. I know. Not exactly thrilled about that." He hated talking about it at all, but he finally confessed, "The upside is he won't tell anyone. He won't want anyone to know. Won't want to share," Merlin finished, looking down at a discolored spot on the carpet.

"I wish I had your confidence." Arthur tore his gaze from the view of the street outside, bathed in pale luminescence from the weak street lights. He focused on Merlin, again unsure if the other man truly realized the terrible danger he was in. "When I find him again, I _will_ destroy him." He made it clear by the tone of his voice that there would be no argument. John would meet the true death before he could harm Merlin or tell anyone about how different this particular mortal was. Arthur stalked over to Merlin, stopping just short of him. "No one's going to touch you, Merlin. I won't let them."

On one hand, the words were strangely sweet. Arthur wanted to protect him, to look out for him, and it was hard not to be flattered and pleased by that. It was Arthur, after all, the man he'd been in love with for as long as he could remember. Then again, he knew Arthur's temper and how easily it could put him at a disadvantage. "Just be careful, alright? Putting someone to death - even a vampire - isn't exactly thought of fondly. I've seen John at the bar before, but I don't know him well enough to say if he has friends, a coven, anything like that. I don't want you getting into trouble with the wrong people around here."

Arthur appreciated Merlin's concern for him but, at the same time, he bristled at the notion that he couldn't take care of himself. He almost suggested that he and Merlin simply leave the town and start up again somewhere else afresh. Only that would not eliminate the threat the other vampire posed. John could sniff Merlin out the moment the sorcerer's control slipped. Then, it wouldn't matter where they were. "Alright, Merlin. I'll be careful." Arthur laid his hands on the other man's shoulders, staring directly into his eyes. He didn't want to start another argument. In fact, he just wanted to comfort Merlin and... /Stop it right now./ Arthur snatched his hands away, nodding toward the closet. "It'll be daylight soon. We should both get to bed."

"Right. Bed. Sleep. Good. Yeah," Merlin agreed with a tight smile. Things felt strange and unresolved, but he wasn't unhappy. Even strange was better than nothing. He forced himself to take a breath and say a silent thanks for what they had instead of worrying about what they didn't have. He smiled far more warmly at Arthur once that was done. "Sweet dreams." Merlin slipped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him, determined to wash away everything he could of the abortive attempt at a quick hook up.

He could control his passion, he had to. They would have a new place to live in a few days, a new start for the both of them. Arthur settled down in the closet, stretching out in the dark space and closing his eyes. Sleep called as the sun began to rise, and the former ruler drifted away with more persistent thoughts of Merlin filling his mind...


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Author's Notes:** Blaine's sire checks up on him and Klaine-ness again. For those who read "How it Falls Apart," you already know Damien. You're welcome. Headcannon: Damien = Samuel Larsen. Also? Klaine smut. You're welcome.

"You could at least switch it up some nights, sit at another table or something," Damien observed as he slid into the booth across from Blaine. His childe was buzzing with unusual energy, apparently waiting for something. /Someone?/ His gaze sharpened. "What's the occasion? You look like a kid at Christmas." He'd already spotted Mike sweet-talking a tasty little mortal, and Damien couldn't help wondering if it might not be worth joining in on that. But not until he found out what was up with Blaine. He wasn't too proud to admit that the dark-haired beauty was his favorite. Though Blaine's affection often seemed to be more about loyalty than love, Damien accepted it as enough most of the time.

Blaine sat up a little straighter when Damien appeared. It was more of a reflex reaction than anything else. He hadn't realized he was being that obvious over his excitement for Kurt, and he dipped his head in an almost sheepish gesture. "I met someone last night," he confessed, glancing up to meet Damien's gaze. "And he's... he's _amazing_. I've never met anyone like him. I never thought someone like him could even exist." Realizing he was gushing, Blaine might have blushed if he still had the ability to do so. "Okay, tell me the truth: I've lost it, haven't I?" He shook his head and chuckled softly, "I've really got it bad."

"I can tell," Damien answered, his tone wistful. Blaine never looked at him that way. He never had, and he probably never would. The idea that Blaine had fallen so hard for someone else stung, and he tried to cover his pain at the idea. "Tell me about him." He didn't really want to hear it, but he didn't want to push Blaine away either. What the hell was so special about the guy anyway?

"His name's Kurt, and he walked in here last night like something out of a dream." Blaine replayed the events over in his mind. He could see the beautiful mortal striding bravely into the club, unknowingly tempting every vampire in the room to take a bite out of him. "I didn't think he was going to last five minutes," he confessed, gazing starry-eyed into space. "There's _something_ about him, Damien. Something I can't explain. If I hadn't stepped in and made him mine, I don't want to even think about what could have happened."

"Yours? You just met him," Damien protested, wondering what had gotten into Blaine. He'd never seemed prone to romantic flights of fancy, but now he was all but drooling at the mere thought of some little mortal, who was probably just a fang banger anyway. Damien's gaze narrowed, but he tried to keep his tone neutral anyway. "Be careful. Not all of them can be trusted. There have been more and more drainers trying to get in here. I don't want you getting hurt because you were so caught up in this boy."

"He's not like that, Damien. Not at all." Blaine dismissed the other vampire's fears with a wave of his hand. "He's sweet and gentle and... Well, you'll know what I mean once you meet him." He was beginning to worry. Kurt should have been here some time ago. Had he been unable to sneak out? The thought of not seeing Kurt again filled Blaine with a powerful sense of longing. "He should be here soon," he added, more to convince himself than for Damien's benefit.

"I'm sure," Damien agreed, though he frankly wasn't all that thrilled to have the source of his current frustration sitting just across the table. He resisted the urge to drum his fingers on the surface as Blaine searched the crowd again - but just barely.

Kurt stepped in the door and breathed a sigh of relief. He'd thought his father would never leave. They'd been talking about college applications, and Burt seemed to have an opinion about everything. He had worked for subtlety at first - yawns, lack of focus - and finally given up and all but shoved his father out of the room, insisting he need to rest up and moisturize. Kurt had only been mildly scandalized when Burt pointed out that he looked like he needed the sleep.

He scanned the room as if suddenly afraid that Blaine wouldn't be there, that he would have snuck out and made the trip for nothing. The moment he spotted the dark-haired vampire across the room, Kurt's face lit up, and he started forward without any thought but of getting to Blaine.

Blaine caught Kurt's intoxicating scent long before he swept through the door. He was excusing himself from the table, and was on his feet and meeting Kurt halfway across the floor. Not wasting a moment, Blaine embraced his mortal lover and pressed a tender kiss to his mouth. "I was afraid you might not make it," he admitted, drawing back and gazing into those marvelous eyes. Kurt was here; the missing piece was in place and all was right with the world again. "There's someone I'd like you to meet," he said, reaching for his hand and drawing him over to the table where Damien was still seated. "Kurt, this is Damien. He's my Maker."

Kurt's fingers tightened around Blaine's, eyes widening slightly. He understood that this was the equivalent of meeting his boyfriend's father even if the other vampire didn't look older than either one of them. There was a sharpness in Damien's eyes that made it difficult for Kurt to hold his hand out. He forced the action and a smile. "It's lovely to meet you."

The sentiment was most definitely not mutual, but Damien managed a brief smile before taking the mortal's hand. He understood at least in part what so captivated his Childe. The boy was lovely, and there was something about his scent... "I've only been here for ten minutes and I've already heard a lot about you, Kurt. Blaine seems smitten."

Kurt blushed becomingly and smiled at the vampire standing beside him. "I am too."

If there was any tension in the air, then Blaine was completely oblivious to it. He was far too happy being in Kurt's presence again to notice such trivial things. "I was a little worried you might not make it," he confessed, offering Kurt's warm hand a gentle little squeeze. "It hasn't been _that_ long, but I'd kind of forgotten what it's like to sneak out of the house without your parents knowing." Aching to simply hold Kurt in his arms again, Blaine ticked his attention to Damien for a moment. "If you don't mind, I'd really like to have a dance with my gorgeous date before they call to me sing."

"Of course. Have fun," Damien answered. He looked completely nonchalant, but inside he was seething. He wanted to grab the mortal, demand to know what he really was, to know what he wanted with Blaine. He wasn't used to being jealous. Blaine played, of course, had fun with mortals, but never before had he seen his Childe in love with any of them. It hurt more than he'd expected.

"I get to hear you sing?" Oblivious to Damien's anger as they moved onto the floor, Kurt beamed up at Blaine. "Been wondering if your voice is as pretty as the rest of you." He let his arm slip around the vampire's waist and stayed as close to Blaine as humanly possible as they moved together. "Have you been singing for long?"

"Didn't I tell you? I used to sing with my school's glee club, we were called the Warblers. I was the lead." Singing was the only part of his mortal life that he had insisted on hanging onto. Everything else-including his home life with his parents-had been fairly easy to let go of. It had surprised him how remarkable the change had been, his new outlook offering him opportunities and excitement Blaine had never even dreamed of. He pressed a gentle kiss to the side of Kurt's mouth, whispering, "I chose something special for you tonight."

Blaine took the stage, a spotlight illuminating him as a mortal piano player gave him the first note. He began to sing,

_"Fish got to swim, birds got to fly,__  
><em>_I got to love one man till I die.__  
><em>_Can't help lovin' dat man of mine.___

_Tell me he's lazy, tell me he's slow,__  
><em>_Tell me I'm crazy, (maybe I know).__  
><em>_Can't help lovin' dat man of mine.___

_Oh listen sister,__  
><em>_I love my mister man,__  
><em>_And I can't tell you' why__  
><em>_Dere ain't no reason__  
><em>_Why Ishould love dat man,__  
><em>_It mus' be sumpin dat de angels done plan.___

_Fish got to swim, birds got to fly,__  
><em>_I got to love one man till I die.__  
><em>_Can't help lovin' dat man of mine.__  
><em>_Tell me he's lazy, tell me he's slow,__  
><em>_Tell me I'm crazy, (maybe I know).__  
><em>_Can't help lovin' dat man of mine.___

_When he goes away,__  
><em>_Dat's a rainy day,__  
><em>_And when he comes back dat day is fine,__  
><em>_De sun will shine!__  
><em>_He kin come home as late as can be,__  
><em>_Home without him ain't no home to me,__  
><em>_Can't help lovin' dat man of mine.___

_De chimney's smokin'__  
><em>_De roof is leakin' in,__  
><em>_But he don't seem to care.__  
><em>_Dere ain't no reason why I should love dat man.___

_And why do you love that man?___

_It mus' be sumpin' dat de angels done plan.___

_Fish got to swim, While de birds fly,__  
><em>_Birds got to fly, Till the world dies__  
><em>_I got to love My gal loves me; __  
><em>_One man till I die. Dat's why she's__  
><em>_Can't help lovin' True gal of mine.__  
><em>_Dat man of mine. She may be lazy__  
><em>_Tell me he's lazy, and slow as cold__  
><em>_Tell me he's slow, Molasses, I know,__  
><em>_Tell me I'm crazy, Can't help lovin'__  
><em>_(maybe I know). Dat gal of mine.__  
><em>_Can't help lovin' When I goes away__  
><em>_Dat man of mine. Dat's lovin__  
><em>_When he goes away, All de rainy days,__  
><em>_Dat's a rainy day, Dat's loving.__  
><em>_And when he comes back An' when I comes__  
><em>_Dat day is fine, Back' dat day is fine,__  
><em>_De sun will shine!___

_Yes, sister Yes, sister__  
><em>_He kin come home She kin come home__  
><em>_As late as can be, as late as kin be,__  
><em>_Home without him Home widout her__  
><em>_Ain't no home to me, Ain't no home to me,__  
><em>_Can't help lovin' Can't help lovin'__  
><em>_Dat man of mine. Dat gal of mine."_

It was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Kurt clapped when the song was over despite half the people nearby looking at him like he was out of his mind. It was probably the sweetest thing he'd ever heard in his life. Blushing, Kurt stilled his hands, but his eyes never left Blaine. He was utterly unaware of the vampire's maker glaring at him from the corner. He didn't really care. He only cared about the fact that Blaine was gorgeous and perfect and _his_. The thought alone made Kurt fairly giddy.

As Blaine performed two more classics for Kurt's benefit, he vaguely noted Damien exiting the bar with a mortal who had quite clearly been glamored. Somewhere in the back of his mind this struck him as odd, as he had never known his maker to have to resort to such a thing before. The only time Blaine had seen Damien glamor was in order to teach him how to do it. Damien could, to put it bluntly, seduce the pants off of anyone with his charm alone. Filing the incident away, the vampire finished his set and wandered off the stage to another round of applause. In contrast to Blaine's selection, the club's DJ returned with throbbing dance music. Weaving his way back to the utterly gorgeous figure waiting for him, he swept Kurt up in his strong arms and kissed him with an aching tenderness. "In case you didn't notice," he teased against the mortal's honeyed mouth, "all those songs were especially for you."

Kurt sighed and melted into the embrace. "I noticed. You were beautiful... perfect." He smiled almost shyly and whispered, "I'll have to sing for you sometime." He could feel stares of other patrons on them but didn't care in the least. In fact Kurt hoped that they were jealous, that they saw Blaine's arms around him and the marks on his neck and knew that he belonged to the vampire. It had killed him keeping his scarf on all day. Kurt had barely been able to keep his hands off of it, fingering the fabric and thinking of the healing wounds beneath and what they signified. "Thought I was going to go crazy waiting for tonight."

"Yeah?" Blaine beamed, diving back in to press his lips to Kurt's throat and breathe in his rich, alluring scent. "Well, what if I told you I was close to waiting outside of your house for you? That's how much I wanted to see you again." As if frozen in time he simply stood there holding Kurt in his arms, seemingly unwilling to let go out of an irrational fear that the mortal was merely an illusion and might fade away. "Can I take you home with me?" Blaine asked almost shyly. "Please?"

"Yes... of course, yes," Kurt agreed, his heart pounding with sudden excitement as he grabbed Blaine's hand in his own. The idea of Blaine at his house, Blaine slipping into his room... well, it was a terrible idea, of course. He suspected that his father would figure out how to melt down silver pretty quickly if he found out that his son had a vampire boyfriend who was sneaking in at all hours of the night. "Quickly. Quickly would be very good." Never one to wait for something he really wanted, Kurt began all but dragging Blaine toward the door.

Blaine found himself very grateful for Kurt's enthusiastic incentive, otherwise he might have stood there all night gazing at the mortal until the sun came up. Once they were outside of the club and in the cool night air, he marveled at the almost unearthly sheen of Kurt's pale skin. It stoked not only his desire for him but also his intense fascination with this magnificent creature who had stolen his heart away. His fangs appeared unbidden, Blaine's hunger returning. The memory of tasting Kurt's wonderful blood filled him, and he fought against the temptation to press Kurt against the nearest wall and feed again. "Are you taking care of yourself?" he asked, focusing his lust into concern. "I was afraid you might be too weak today. It was terrible of me not to suggest vitamins."

"I take them everyday anyway," Kurt assured, squeezing Blaine's hand as they walked through the chill of the evening. The fact that Blaine seemed so concerned warmed his heart. "I'm fine. Honestly. Just fine. Besides, it would take more than feeling a little woozy to keep me away." The truth was that even if he'd felt on the edge of death, Kurt was pretty sure he would have found a way to drag himself up out of bed and make it to the club. He needed to see Blaine too badly. "Though I will have to sleep eventually. Dark circles do nothing for the view."

"Either way, you'll always be the loveliest sight I've ever been lucky enough to see." Even as the heartfelt words warmed the cool night air, Blaine felt a pang of guilt over Kurt having to lose sleep due to his rather unique situation. "Is it selfish that I wanted to see you again this soon?" he wondered aloud, stopping in his tracks to gaze into Kurt's eyes. "I honestly don't think I could have made it through the night without at least catching a glimpse of you." Leaning closer, he brushed their lips together in an achingly tender kiss. The contact deepened, and Blaine vaguely wondered if they would make it back to his apartment at all.

Kurt sighed and leaned into the embrace, heedless of where they were and the world around them. He didn't care about any of it as long as he had Blaine all to himself. "It's not selfish," he insisted quietly. "It's perfect. This is perfect. I... like I said, I don't think I could have stayed away anyway. I would have missed you too much." He had been aching to see Blaine all day. "It seems a bit unfair that I have a beautiful boyfriend who I should be parading around in front of all the idiots who have been making my life hell and we have to hide ourselves away. Then again... I'm not very interested in sharing you anyway." Kurt almost moved to kiss his lover again before stepping back instead. "Your place. We really should be someplace a bit more private to make use of this quality time together."

"Yes... yes, we should," Blaine readily agreed. He reached out for Kurt's hand again and wasted no time in leading his gorgeous lover back to his apartment. Gathering the mortal effortlessly into his arms, Blaine covered his mouth in passionate kisses as he kicked the door open and carried Kurt inside. Warmth filled him as their bodies melded together; nothing had ever felt so wonderfully _right_. He gently deposited him down on the sofa, lying down on top of him with a deep groan of pleasure. "Oh, I love you," Blaine murmured against those pillow-soft lips. "I never thought it was possible to feel this way, to want someone so much. But, I do. I need you, Kurt. I think I always have."

The words would have sounded painfully cliche coming from anyone, but coming from Blaine, they sounded absolutely beautiful. Sweet and deliciously beautiful. "I feel the same way. I just... I..." Kurt wasn't usually at a loss for words, and his laugh was slightly breathless as he looked up into Blaine's dark eyes. "I just don't want to have to leave again." It was the difficult part of seeing Blaine again; knowing that he'd have to leave. Kurt loved his family dearly: his father, his stepbrother, his stepmother. But he couldn't deny that part of him didn't want to be parted from his vampiric lover at all.

"I know," Blaine murmured his understanding. He gazed at Kurt tenderly, his fingers caressing their way down one side of his face. He marveled at his the mortal's alabaster skin warmed and colored beneath his touch. It was such a simple little thing, and yet utterly beautiful at the same time. "If I could, I'd just keep you right here with me forever." It was the truth; Blaine pained at the thought of being parted from Kurt even if it was only during the hours when he slept. "We'll just have to treasure these moments-like tonight-to the fullest." Smiling softly, he brushed their lips together again.

"So are you always this distracting, or do I just lack focus?" Kurt inquired with a hint of a smile. "I don't think I heard a word at school today. I was so out of it that I'm fairly certain everyone thinks I'm on drugs." He didn't really care, but it had been somewhat amusing seeing the measured stares from his friends, their uncertainty when he said that he was just fine. They had no idea. He wished they did. Honestly he'd been dying all day to just TELL someone, to pull Mercedes aside and spill the entire thing. But somehow Kurt knew that instead of being excited for him and thrilled with his new moonlight romance, they'd tell him he was being reckless and foolish and moving too fast... and he knew that just wasn't true.

Blaine seemed to ponder that deeply for a long moment. "Well, I'd hate to think I'm being a bad influence on you," he decided, wearing a wicked grin as he said so. His fingers circled the bite marks on Kurt's throat, and Blaine detected a sharp thrill course through the mortal's veins long before Kurt visibly shivered. "You're beautiful, so beautiful," he whispered, captivated by the gorgeous man lying beneath him. "Fucking perfect." His hips churned, and Blaine groaned at the heated contact. "Maybe I am a terrible influence after all?" he murmured between more hungry kisses. "I should be taking you out on a date instead of bringing you home and keeping you to myself."

"Mmmm... you do owe me... owe me a date," Kurt agreed, though he had absolutely no intention of going anywhere or letting Blaine move any further away than he was for the moment. "But right now I just want you. I want... want you to... oh, god..." Just the kisses were enough to render Kurt barely capable of speaking, barely capable of focusing on anything but how sweet the vampire was and how badly he wanted the man. "Just don't stop? Please?"

"Oh, nothing in the world could make me stop," Blaine assured him. More kisses followed, alternating between tender and searing as his mouth flowed over Kurt's lips, down his chin and onto his throat. The vampire found a pulsing artery beneath the bite marks, and remembering how well Kurt had responded last night, nipped playfully at the sensitive flesh. At the same time Blaine surged forward, rocking their hips together meaningfully. "Did you dream of this, Kurt? Of us together?" he whispered against his neck.

"Yes!" Kurt cried out. It didn't matter if it was the action or the question he was answering because his response was the same either way. The feeling if of Blaine's lips on his neck reminded him pointedly of how good it had felt the night before. "I thought it would hurt, but it didn't. None of it. Felt so good..."

"You liked that, didn't you?" Blaine teased Kurt's healing wound, relishing the shivers of excitement that raced through the mortal writhing beneath him. "I could feel it, taste it..." Slowly, he reached for his lover's wrists, and grasping them firmly, pinned Kurt's arms above his head. If Blaine was right in his assumption, then Kurt would definitely be game to exploring further. "What if I wanted to bite you... elsewhere?" Another surge of his hips, and Blaine whispered, "Between your legs... perhaps?"

Kurt couldn't stop the whimper of sheer need that escaped him at the thought. "Oh, God..." The idea of Blaine biting into the sensitive flesh, maybe fingering him while he drank... Kurt's hips rose against his lover's while his fingers flexed. The iron grip Blaine had on his wrists only got the young man hotter, and he wondered if it was common to spontaneously combust from getting too turned on.

"You'd like, wouldn't you?" Desire rolled off of Kurt's body in waves, threatening to overwhelm Blaine's heightened senses. Once again, he was unable to control himself and his fangs appeared in a flash. He tightened his grip on Kurt's wrists, careful not to leave bruises as their hips rolled together in a dance of mutual lust. "I'd like it too..." Blaine shuddered, releasing his lover's hands as he roamed down the length of his body. He made short work of Kurt's shirt, tore at the belt around his skinny jeans, and then tugged them open. Kurt was gloriously naked in what seemed like no time at all, and the vampire was raking his gleaming eyes all over the tempting display of bare flesh. "How can you be real?" he whispered in awe.

"Says the immortal torch singer?" Kurt teased in return. He was flushed with the scrutiny of the gorgeous man staring down at him but didn't look away. He wanted it. He wanted Blaine watching him, touching him, claiming him. Everything that he could get and experience with the vampire, he wanted. The thought alone made Kurt swallow hard, and his own bright eyes darkened with desire as he sat up and reached for Blaine to begin helping him out of his clothes as well. "I want to see all of you," he breathed against the cool skin of Blaine's neck. Just like before, being close to the vampire overwhelmed him.

He urged Kurt legs open, spreading his thighs wide apart as he insinuated himself between them. He stroked his hands over that creamy expanse of flesh, burying his face in Kurt's groin and basking in his delicious scent. His lips were drawn to a quivering vein, naked to the human eye, pulsing rapidly in his lover's thigh. "Would you like it if I were to bite you here?" Blaine teased, nipping delicately at the sensitive skin.

Kurt groaned at the thought alone, the idea of Blaine's teeth sinking into the flesh. "Yes," he agreed without the slightest hesitation. The more he thought about it, the hotter it sounded, the most desperate his desire became. "Would you... would you use your fingers? While you bite me, would you..." Saying that much was enough to make Kurt blush, but the need was overwhelming any hesitation he had about saying something dirty or asking for something Blaine might not want to give. For one thing he didn't expect Blaine to say no. For another, he wanted the vampire too much to care about maintaining much dignity.

"Shh," Blaine soothed, pressing tender kisses along the length of Kurt's twitching arousal. "I know exactly what you need, and I promise you Kurt..." He smiled, revealing his glinting fangs. "I'm going to give you everything you desire." Raising himself up, Blaine covered Kurt's luscious mouth with his own, devouring it with unrestrained passion. Then, after he had thoroughly licked his way inside, he was replacing his tongue with his index finger, pressing it into the warm wetness and urging his lover to suckle. It was scorchingly erotic watching his digit push its way past those delicious lips, and feeling the slick slide of Kurt's mouth. Blaine fairly purred as he gazed deeply into the mortal's beautiful eyes.

Kurt never let his eyes stray from Blaine's as he sucked at the digit. He felt weak with relief at the knowledge that Blaine understood what he wanted. His heart pounded wildly, and Kurt's eyes were half-lidded as he watched his immortal lover. Blaine was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. From his unkempt curls to his deep brown eyes to his gorgeous body, Kurt was continually amazed that he had the ability to touch the man whenever he wanted. Blaine was his. Completely his. His cock gave a lurch at the idea of what would come next and the thought that they could both have each other as often as they needed.

His fangs tingled and Blaine's hunger to taste Kurt again swelled until it nearly overwhelmed him. "That's so good," he whispered, easing his digits from Kurt's lips and replacing it with his tongue. Blaine kissed with a ravenous passion, while easing his wet finger between Kurt's quivering thighs and playing at his opening. He didn't push his way inside, not yet... Instead, he teased his lover's perfect little rosebud, drawing out Kurt's pleasure.

Kurt shivered at the touch. He had never wanted anything as much as he wanted to feel Blaine pressing into him. "Please," he whispered without even realizing he'd decided to speak. Kurt's eyes fluttered open again as he looked down to watch Blaine's intense gaze burning into him. The sight thrilled him in a way that only applause usually could. Knowing Blaine wanted him got Kurt off as thoroughly as the high from any performance. "Blaine... god, you're beautiful... you're so... need you. Please, Blaine, I need you..."

Blaine didn't need to hear the sweet words, he could sense the desire, hot and throbbing, flowing through Kurt's blood. "I love you, Kurt," he whispered in return. "I'm going to give you everything... Everything you've ever wanted..." Another passionate kiss, and then the vampire's wet finger breached Kurt's opening, which trembled around his digit with wild sexual excitement. Unbelievably warm and impossibly tight, his mortal lover's body slowly opened itself up to welcome him. And Blaine took full advantage of Kurt's vulnerable state, dragging his mouth over every inch of gleaming pale flesh he could find. His tongue whirled over Kurt's gorgeous cock and heaving balls, gently teasing him with his fangs.

Kurt threw his head back and just barely held back a scream as Blaine's fangs carefully traced over the sensitive flesh. It was almost too much already, and Blaine was still just teasing him. It was perfect. He honestly hadn't understood why everyone was so obsessed with sex, not really, not until the first time Blaine touched him. Now he wondered how he'd lived without knowing what it felt like to have the vampire's hands on his body. "I have it. I have everything," Kurt whispered once he had enough control to attempt speech. "I have you."

He felt tremors course beneath his lips, and the vampire could smell the desire rising to meet him. Kurt's scent surrounded him, caressing him and drawing him in. Blood raced and boiled, mesmerizing him with its siren call. He settled himself between Kurt's legs-his digit driving slowly but cleverly in and out of the mortal's body-focusing on a pulsing vein in the left side of Kurt's groin. Unable to resist the temptation, or deny his hunger any longer, Blaine gently sank his fangs into that gleaming flesh, groaning as Kurt's delicious blood filled his mouth again.

Though he certainly wasn't ready to contemplate the "what next" part of their relationship, the idea of forever didn't terrify him when it came along with the thought of Blaine. Because god knew he could feel this forever. His cock lurched, spasmed, his ass clenching hard around Blaine's fingers as the vampire drank deeply in the most intimate way he could imagine. Kurt had never felt anything like it. He was sure he was cumming, but his cock remained hard, balls drawn tightly against his body as the waves of pleasure sang through his body. "Blaine!" he whimpered helplessly.

Although he had never bitten a mortal in such an intimate spot, Blaine had often heard from Damien how amazing it could be. Kurt went absolutely wild, and the powerful lust enriched the ambrosial blood pouring over his tongue. His eyes gleamed as he focused on the sight of Kurt's cock, thickening and straining and spewing glistening pearls of honey. The scent wafting from Kurt's body was incredible, and if it were possible, his lover was even more beautiful lying there and surrendering himself to ecstasy. Blaine groaned as he drank, gulping down mouthfuls of Kurt's delicious life essence. It warmed him and filled him, exciting him and making him feel more alive than when he was mortal. He twisted and stroked his finger within the grasping furnace of Kurt's glorious ass, brushing over the swollen nut of his prostate with wicked purpose.

Just when it felt like nothing could possibly feel better, Blaine began stroking hard over his prostate. It felt so good that it almost hurt, and Kurt let out a sob of pure pleasure as his body twisted. He came so hard that if the vampire's superhumanly strong grip hadn't grounded him, Kurt knew he would probably have leapt free of the bed altogether. As it was, he shuddered and bucked with absolutely no thought to looking foolish. He couldn't think enough to begin worrying, could only feel the fireworks of pleasure sparking off through his body as Blaine drank and fucked him with that clever digit that seemed bent on making him lose whatever was left of his mind. Cum spattered against the singer's stomach, but Kurt barely even noticed as he whimpered Blaine's name over and over like a litany.

Blaine had never witnessed anyone-mortal or vampire-climax with such a violent upsurge as Kurt did at that moment. It was beautiful, stunning and utterly perfect! Kurt thrashed, his limbs flailing and his body shuddering. His blood tasted sweeter, more succulent than before with the rush of ecstasy. And Blaine began to drown in his hunger, fearing that he might not be able to stop feeding from the nectareous well of life. Calling on the last reserves of his willpower, the vampire finally managed to break away with a wet gasp. Trickles of precious fluid streamed from the fresh wound, and Blaine allowed himself the luxury of lapping at the fang marks in Kurt's groin until the bleeding stopped. Then, he eased his finger free of the furnace of Kurt's ass and groaned heartily as he began to swab his tongue through the glistening abundance covering his lover's heaving torso. "_Mine_... _mine_," he repeated over and over again.

Kurt shivered and nodded his agreement with the idea, the thought, the knowledge that he belonged to Blaine as completely as he possibly could. "Yes... god... yes." As he watched Blaine hungrily lapping the cum from his skin, Kurt shuddered again and spread his legs wider, too turned on to be anything but wanton. "Fuck me. Please, Blaine... please..." Kurt reveled in the utter loss of control. He didn't spare a moment to think of how completely he had lost it to go from blushing virgin to whore in the space of 48 hours. He wanted Blaine, and nothing mattered beyond that. Nothing mattered but getting and giving every last ounce of himself.

"Oh god, beautiful... yes!" Blaine gasped, recapturing Kurt's luscious mouth. Thoroughly devouring him, he leaned back to gaze into those gorgeous eyes, and caressing the mortal's flushed cheek, he added in a whisper, "I'd love to fuck you." Another scorching kiss, and then Blaine scooped Kurt's glistening release onto his fingers and trembled with excitement as he used it to slick himself with. Wildly aroused, the vampire wrapped Kurt's sensuous legs around him and began to carefully press his aching length-swollen with borrowed blood-into the incredible heat of that wondrous body. "Yes... oh yes!" he cried out with exuberant pleasure.

Kurt could do nothing but gasp as he arched beneath Blaine. The loss of blood had left him reeling, dizzy and elated at once. He cried out with pleasure as Blaine thrust deep inside him. He might have been feeling a bit weak, but the vampire's hands were strong and sure on his hips, and Kurt found just enough strength to hold on for the ride. "So good," he murmured as his own hands found purchase on Blaine's shoulders. He clung to them and closed his eyes, unable and unwilling to do anything but feel Blaine moving inside him.

Blaine rained tender kisses down all over Kurt's beautiful face. His eyes flooded with sex as his hips churned and his raging arousal plunged deeper and deeper into the mortal's welcoming embrace. "I love you... I love you," he murmured, his frenzied fingers playing over slender hips. Kurt squeezed around him, caressing him; scorching hot, deliciously moist, and impossibly tight. "Ohhh," he moaned, throwing his dark curls back, "Kurt, you... are... perfect!" He was swarming all over Kurt's smooth pale body with a sharp hunger that came from the overwhelming passion he felt for him, coupled with having consumed his lover's delectable blood which infused him with warmth. Blaine's greedy mouth was on Kurt's again, plunging his tongue between pillow-soft lips and dipping inside the sweet, panting heat.

Kurt had no idea whether he was perfect even in Blaine's eyes, but it truthfully didn't matter. He was holding onto the most beautiful man he'd ever seen in his life, and that man wanted him. Kurt groaned into the kiss and wrapped his legs tighter around Blaine's hips. It gave him a touch more leverage, and he moved with desperate need despite having already cum. He needed just as badly to feel Blaine lose all control and spill inside him. He'd spent every hour that they were apart imagining the sensation and counting the hours until he could feel it again.

Blaine writhed atop Kurt as his hips pumped and his ass rose and fell while he thrust lovingly into the tight heat of his lover's body. He made love to him with a slow, painstaking skill, literally shaking with need, mewling and churning his pelvis. Cradling the mortal's marvelous ass in his hands and squeezing the firm globes as he softly sucked on Kurt's tongue. He offered Kurt the sweetest, most prolonged, most intense, and yet most tender fucks of his life. Blaine wouldn't let him come again... not yet. He toyed with Kurt, bringing him to the brink, drawing back, taking him up again, almost to the peak, growing ever more desperate to leave him shaking and quivering for release.

"Oh, god!" Kurt was fairly certain that he should have been desperate for the torture to end. Instead he shook and trembled and ached for just a little more. He wanted every second they could wring from the night because once it ended, he'd be back to his life, back to the cold reality that was the daylight. And he didn't want to go. Kurt moaned into his lover's mouth and clutched at the dark, sweat-dampened curls as they moved together. He didn't say a word but still begged with every touch and every jerky, helpless movement of his body for Blaine not to stop.

Blaine was awed over the most beautiful, sensual creature he had ever laid eyes on writhed beneath him. His love for Kurt was so overpowering that the vampire nearly cried tears of blood. He devoured Kurt's moans of pleasure, feeding him his own. Blaine reached between them, closing his hand around the mortal's overheated arousal, which fairly jumped into his grasp. He stroked Kurt in time with his thrusts, which became more feverish, more insistent. They were both edging closer... closer to the ultimate, killing moment. "Kurt," Blaine gasped against his mouth, "I want you to come... come with me... please?"

Kurt couldn't do anything but gasp, so he nodded to show that he did indeed understand the words. The young man trembled as he finally let go and stopped holding back. His body surged up to meet Blaine's next thrust, and that was all it took to finally send him tumbling down. The temporary muteness fell away as Kurt all but screamed, his over-sensitized cock brushing against Blaine's muscular stomach and sending additional shudders of pleasure through his body, another thrill on top of those sure, sensual fingers curled around him. "Blaine, god..."

Groaning and shuddering, he clung to Kurt as a powerful orgasm wrenched him senseless. The pleasure was incomparable, and the vampire erupted in seemingly endless seizures of coming. Finally, he collapsed atop Kurt, gasping and whimpering from the force of the explosion. It took minutes for Blaine to come around. He still hardly believed what had happened. "You are incredible," he rasped, kissing Kurt long and lovingly.

"Is it... is it always like this?" Kurt asked in absolute awe. He had no doubt that Blaine had been with plenty of men before. The way he moved, his confidence both told the story clearly enough. While he hated the idea of anyone else touching the vampire, Kurt wasn't so selfish as to be unappreciative. Someone had done an absolutely amazing job of turning Blaine into the perfect lover. "I'm honestly starting to see why everyone's so obsessed with sex." He had never been particularly sidetracked by it. Romance was another story altogether, but sex? He'd thought that was something he could just as well do without until the first time Blaine Anderson kissed him. That one moment had changed absolutely everything.

Blaine lifted his hand and examined his fingers, which glistened with the evidence of Kurt's release. He made a show of lavishly licking his digits clean, savoring the delicious taste of Kurt's essence. His dark eyes sparkled as he smiled and murmured, "You are irresistible." He leaned in closer, brushing their lips together and allowing Kurt the luxury of sampling himself. "I could make love to you forever." Another kiss, and then Blaine lifted a finger to his mouth again and pierced it with his fangs. Carefully easing free of Kurt's embrace, he replaced his cock with his bleeding digit, sawing his way inside. "We can't have you being sore tomorrow, can we?" he explained, dragging his lips back down over Kurt's throat.

Kurt gasped but couldn't help agreeing. It would make the day a great deal easier to get through if he could sit down comfortably. He couldn't help but rock back into the touch until Blaine finally withdrew his fingers. A look at the clock on the vampire's nightstand made him groan. "I should go and try to get a few hours' sleep before I have to get up in the morning." He hated the idea, hated the thought of leaving Blaine for even a night, but he had another life that needed his attention as well. "I wish I could just take you with me."

"I wish you could, too." Blaine's expression grew somber. Saying good-bye to Kurt again was harder than the first time. He nuzzled his mortal lover's throat, murmuring, "Maybe we can plan a weekend together? Do you think it's possible?" Having Kurt with him for a few days would be perfect, even if it might be too much to ask for. They could make love over and over again, lose themselves in each other, without the fear of being parted. Blaine stroked his hand up and down the length of Kurt's chest, relishing the feel of him and not wanting the contact to end.

Kurt thought of that and finally nodded. "I can try. Do you have a number? It would be a little easier if I could text or call you when I find out." Somehow the idea of having that constant access - even if he knew that Blaine would be unable to answer during the day - thrilled him. Kurt could at least make sure that Blaine woke up to a quick message. "Then I can let you know if I can't get away, we can make plans..." He smiled warmly at the vampire and snuggled in closer to enjoy a few more moments of closeness.

"Of course," Blaine replied, suddenly bashful. "Silly of me not to give it to you before." Loathing breaking contact with Kurt's warm body, the vampire gave a token groan of reluctance as he searched about for a pen and piece of paper. He scribbled down his cell phone number, and then quickly dove back into his lover's arms. "I really don't want to let you go. I mean, I know I have to... I just don't want to." Blaine's lips coursed over Kurt's throat, kissing the healing bite mark. "Is this really happening? Us?" He sighed contentedly. "You mean everything to me, Kurt."

"I don't understand it... but it's happening." Kurt smiled and blindly found Blaine's lips. He kissed the vampire until it became necessary to surface and take in a gulping breath of air. "I really do have to go." More than reluctant, Kurt drew back and began dressing. He hesitated and finally decided that he needed to voice the fear that had begun to grow in the back of his mind. "If... if I can't come some nights... will you..." Kurt swallowed and looked down at his bare feet against the polished wood floor. "Will you be with someone else?"

"Oh, Kurt..." Blaine reached out and cupped the mortal's cheek. "Of course not. You're mine, and I'm yours." He pressed a soft kiss of reassurance to his lover's mouth. Smiling as he eased back, Blaine combed his fingers through Kurt's lush hair. "Text me, or leave me a message. It will give me something to look forward to when I wake up tomorrow night." He hated saying good-bye to Kurt. It left Blaine with a palpable ache, almost as if one of his limbs had been amputated. "I hope we'll be able to make that weekend happen."

"I'll let you know. I'll have to coordinate something with a friend from school." It was strange to think of his worlds colliding in such a way. He hadn't told anyone about Blaine, but it would be worth spilling to Mercedes if it meant that she could help him extricate himself from the house for the weekend. A whole weekend with Blaine... The very idea made Kurt giddy. He leaned in and kissed the vampire gently. "Thank you. I... I know it's silly, I just... worried." Still blushing, Kurt forced himself to finish dressing only to pause for still another kiss that left him breathless and aching to crawl back into bed instead of leaving. "God, I have to... I have to go. Now." The teenager groaned and hurried for the door, stopping only to flash Blaine a warm smile. "I'll be thinking about you."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Author's Notes:** Interesting note for "How it Falls Apart" fans – Damien was originally created to hook up with Finn in the end. So this is Chad and I fulfilling that particular fantasy. Smuttily. Which is now a word.

Kurt had completely lost his mind, Finn Hudson had decided. He wouldn't have even been out trailing after his stepbrother if Burt hadn't have learned that his son wasn't spending the evening with Mercedes after all. Kurt had been acting strangely all day, and now Finn knew why as he spotted the other teen slipping into Lima's one and only vampire bar. What the hell was he thinking? Of all the places in the world Kurt could have gone, why did it have to be _here_? Despite wearing his letterman jacket, Finn had been standing outside the club long enough to start to get cold. He was torn over what to do, and found himself moving toward the bouncer before he realized what was happening.

He apparently looked old enough to gain entry without flashing the fake ID Puck had made him a couple of years ago. Finn was oblivious to the vampire's hungry glare, who thought with the jock look that the mortal was looking to indulge a fetish inside.

Finn stepped inside the packed room, reeling from the culture shock of being in the presence of so many vampires. Of course, he had no idea who was one of the undead and who wasn't, but he was very careful not too brush against anyone as he searched around for Kurt... 

It was disgusting, Damien resolved as he watched his favorite Childe serenading the pretty mortal. Blaine was in love with his food, simple as that, and it was ridiculous. He glared daggers at the boy from his post by the bar, but Kurt was obviously too entranced to notice.

Damien was set to give up on the night and head home when he spotted something unusual heading his way. The boy looked entirely out of place and utterly delicious. "Want something to drink?" he offered as he stepped into the mortal's path.

Finn, looking for all the world like a proverbial deer caught in headlights, opened and closed his mouth silently before finally replying, "Erm, no... No, thanks. I'm just trying to find someone." He tried not to look at the stranger for too long. Was he a vampire or one of those groupies Finn had heard rumors about? Not a clue, and he wasn't about to start asking questions in order to satisfy his curiosity. Again, he cast his eyes over the crowd in an attempt to spot Kurt. The second he found his stepbrother, he was getting them both the hell out of this place!

"Nothing personal, but the manager's not going to let you stay here forever unless you're bringing in some customers or buying some drinks. Since I don't see you slutting it up..." Damien motioned for the distracted bartender to bring a couple of beers over and passed one into Finn's hands before he could protest. "I'm Damien. You're new. Don't have to tell me your name if you don't want to, but I know the place. Maybe I know your friend?"

"Kurt," Finn replied, begrudgingly accepting the beer. "He's my stepbrother." He continued to cast his eyes over the room, growing more and more frantic with worry. What the hell had Kurt gotten himself into? Finn had taken it upon himself to look after the other teen, especially with the daily bullying Kurt endured. How was he supposed to keep him safe trading ignorant jocks for bloodthirsty vampires? "Do you know him?" he asked hopefully, "I don't think he's been coming here long."

Under the guise of trying to make sure he was heard over the music, over Blaine's sweet voice, Damien moved in closer and pointed to the front of the crowd near the stage. "There. But there's nothing to worry about. He's protected." Damien managed to keep his tone even. Only a hint of the bitterness he felt colored his tone. Close up, the mortal was even prettier: dark eyes, flushed cheeks, tall. /Maybe there's a way to get to the boy without making Blaine angry./ A direct attack on Kurt of any sort would only result in a rift with his childe. But if he could use Finn to convince Kurt that he was out of his element... "Want to dance?"

Finn, who hadn't seen that request coming, gaped at Damien and politely declined, "Thanks, but I really need to get my stepbrother and leave." He didn't want to offend the stranger, who had actually helped him out a great deal. Turning his attention back to Kurt now that he knew where to find him, Finn peered through the semi-darkness of the club and the harsh red shadows of the lurid overhead lights. Kurt's rapt attention was all for the figure singing an old torch song Finn vaguely recognized. As he edged closer, Kurt titled his head to the side exposing his throat and Finn felt his blood run cold. The marks were unmistakable, especially since vampire victims were all over the news lately. He started forward, determined to drag Kurt back home even if he had to carry him kicking and screaming!

Damien reached out, gripping Finn's arm gently but firmly, and turned the young man around again. It was easy enough to catch his gaze since Finn was looking at him like he'd lost his mind. The inexperienced ones were always easy. They had no guard up, they didn't even try to resist. Damien locked eyes with the teen and smiled slowly. "I think you'd rather come to my place with me. In fact... I know you would." Usually he was far more subtle. He wasn't above using a little glamour to get what he wanted if the circumstances called for it, but Damien didn't need to often. This was something of a special circumstance, however, and he was glad to see that no one was paying any attention aside from a few vampires eyeing Finn jealously.

Finn completely spaced out in less time than it took to blink his eyes. Whatever had been so vitally important to him vanished from his mind in a flash, only to fill itself with the incredible need to follow Damien home. "Yes, I would," he replied dreamily. There was no hesitation, no second thoughts. In fact, he was already moving back toward the entrance of the club waiting to follow the other man wherever he wanted to lead him.

Damien shook his head slightly. Always so easy. Soon enough he'd ushered Finn out of the club and was leading him down the block. He kept his own apartment in the same building as Blaine and Mike. Even though they spent a good deal of time apart, it was nice having the "family" all close together. The place wasn't the Ritz, but it was nice. Comfortable. Damien didn't hesitate for a second as he led Finn into the elevator and leaned back against one of the walls, watching the young man like a cat watches a mouse. "Why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself... your name, for instance."

"Finn Hudson," the mesmerized jock replied at once. "I go to McKinley High, I play football and I sing in the glee club." He wanted to tell Damien everything, to please him without question. Warning bells should have been ringing in Finn's head, but somehow he was too far gone to care about anything except the stranger before him. "I like girls... and guys, but I've never told anyone that before."

The evening was suddenly looking even more promising. Virgin territory. Damien moved in a little closer and smiled seductively at the boy. The elevator doors open and he brushed by instead of speaking, leading Finn down the hallway to his corner apartment. For the modest building, the view was one of the best to be had. Heavy curtains were drawn back at night to show off the town, modest as it was, but Damien wasn't interested in showing off the view. "And you like me?" Damien didn't even need to see the nod as he shut the door behind Finn and moved into the jock's personal space. "Good. I like you too. And your brother... he likes Blaine. Very much. I don't like that. They aren't good for each other," he explained solemnly.

"That's why you came, isn't it? Because it's not safe for your brother? He's going to be very upset that you came to the bar." Before Finn could speak up, Damien continued on, holding Finn's gaze purposefully. "But it's for his own good. You need to make sure he knows what happened... what's going to happen tonight. Do you understand that, Finn?"

"I understand," Finn replied, as if it were the most simple thing in the world he was agreeing to. It _was_ for Kurt's own good. Bad enough his stepbrother had to dodge daily abuse from school bullies, now he had wandered into territory so dangerous Finn couldn't even hope to protect him from the undead. "I'll show him, I'll make him see, I promise." He wanted to please Damien as well as to keep Kurt safe. Finn continued to find himself in a dreamlike state, unquestioning himself for following a stranger home and revealing things he couldn't even say aloud in front of a mirror.

"Good. Very good." Damien reached out and stroked the young man's cheek just to watch him shiver with pleasure. "But you won't be able to remember my name or just what I looked like if he asks." The vampire took a step closer, smiling. "You'll remember in your dreams... just enough to find your way back if you need more. Tonight I'm going to drink as much as you can handle... but I can do more... if you ask me for it. I have to hear what you want."

An involuntary moaned wrenched itself from Finn's throat when Damien touched him. He was hard in an instant, wildly aroused and unafraid in the presence of a very hungry vampire. Reaching for the collar of his shirt, Finn pulled it down and exposed his throat without hesitation. "I want you to bite me," he heard himself almost pleading as if in the middle of a dream. "I want you to touch me, have me..." If Finn had been in his right mind, he would have been to shy and much too scared to say such things. Whatever button that censored his thoughts had feelings had been released, and the overprotective jock was a vampire's willing victim.

It was really a shame that the glamour was necessary. It was pretty obvious that Finn would have wanted it either way, he just wasn't ready to admit that to himself. Damien moved in closet and breathed on the heady scents of hood and beef and desire. When he reached town to palm the teen through his jeans, Damien found him already hard. A few steps was all it took to back Finn up against the wall. He continued to stroke the bulge straining to break free of its denim prison and gently kissed Finn's neck. "When I finally drink you, it's going to be the best thing you've ever felt. It's as intimate as you can be with someone, closer than sex and just as hot."

What was happening to him have should have thoroughly shocked Finn Hudson. Instead he welcomed Damien's attention, biting his lip and moaning as he arched into the vampire's touch. Cool lips roamed over his heated skin, sending electrical tendrils of pleasure snaking out striking his groin. Damien's words thrilled him almost as much as his actions, and Finn whimpered as he bared his throat in eager anticipation. His arms came up to encircle the vampire, drawing him in closer, wanting oh so much to feel their bodies pressed together. He felt like a bird freed from its cage, soaring in a world full of new and exciting possibilities. "Please?" he heard himself whisper, not really knowing what he was begging for, only wanting more of Damien.

His hand pressed insistently to Funk's throbbing erection through the jeans, Damien smiled and bared his fangs against the soft flesh. He loved that word, the catch in his victim's voices that always went with it. "Your wish..." The bite was slow, his fangs sliding in instead of tearing the skin. He wanted to feel the bog fun while he drank the sweet nectar, wanted Finn to remember it all as nothing but bliss.

Finn's whole existence imploded in a cascade of pleasure. He gasped and tensed at the first sharp pierce, then relaxed and... _swooned_ at the sensation of Damien feeding, claiming him. His hands clutched at the vampire reflexively, gripping him and holding onto him as if his life depended upon it. Ecstasy, like nothing Finn ever imagined, overwhelmed his senses. His heart raced while his life essence poured into Damien's mouth, groaning desperately as he thrust his hips into the vampire's caress.

Damien quickly unfastened Finn's pants and thrust his hand inside, stroking hard and fast until he felt the spill of release against his fingers. He smiled into Finn's neck and sucked harder. He drew in every drop he could until the teen's grip on his shoulders began to give way. Finally Damien released Finn's throat and licked the wound lovingly. "You are delicious." The vampire drew back and lifted his sticky fingers, making sure that Finn watched as he licked the cum from each digit in turn.

Woozy from his violent orgasm and the loss of blood, Finn watched with dazed eyes as Damien lavishly cleaned off his fingers. He groaned, finding the act the most erotic thing he had ever seen in his life. His head swam and his body had dissolved into a puddle of sated goo, and yet... Finn still wanted more. "Please," he begged, "let me touch you?" Desperate to feel, to please Damien, he was already summoning strength into his hands and clawing at the vampire's clothing. Finn had never wanted anything or anyone as much as the man standing before him.

Damien had intended to get rid of the boy sooner, but Finn was so eager. Obviously the glamour had worked well on him as a gateway. It seemed to have stripped away any compunction the teenager might have normally felt about doing something like this. "Follow me." Damien led the way into his bedroom and casually tossed articles of clothing by the wayside as he moved. By the time he sat down on the bed, he was wearing nothing but his boxers. "Show me what you'd like to do, Finn."

Finn was visibly trembling with excitement now. His tongue moistened his bottom lip as a shaky hand reached over and closed around the massive bulge in Damien's boxers. Having never touched another man before, an illicit thrill surged through Finn as he slowly stroked Damien through the fabric. "I've dreamed about doing this," he confessed, his tone hushed and filled with wonder. Hit with another bout of dizziness, Finn's head lolled drunkenly and he let it rest heavily on the vampire's shoulder. His fingers inched into the fly of Damien's underwear, brushing his length, which was heated with Finn's own blood.

Damien's arms slid around the mortal's warm body, and he stroked his ginger's soothingly through Finn's hair. "Your hand feels good... so warm," he whispered. It was hard not to drink again, to resist the desire to feel the mortal shuddering against him. "Do you know what I'm going to do the next time I see you, Finn? I'm going to fuck you. I'm going to make you take every last inch. Would you like that?"

"Yes," Finn rasped, his throat raw with need. "Oh god, yes... please?" He wanted that to happen more than anything else in the world. Damien could have him, drink him, use him... Finn Hudson had never been more sure about anything. Freeing the vampire's arousal from the prison of cloth, he marveled at the size and feel of him. Finn had often found himself the butt of jocks in the locker room over his own impressive endowment, and it excited him to find someone else as large as he was. Without even realizing it, Finn was angling his throat again, exposing himself to Damien with a deep sense of want the likes of which he had never known before.

It wasn't really a good idea to drink from the boy again. Damien wanted to use him, not kill him, but he wanted it so much, was so beautiful silently begging for more. Before he could stop himself, Damien sank his fangs into Finn's neck and rocked forward into his grip, on the brink of climax from the taste alone.

Finn moaned, vaguely registering that this must be what it felt like to die and go to heaven. The pleasure was unlike anything he had ever known; even the pain that went along with the bite was wonderful. He gave of himself willingly, marveling at the way in which Damien's cock thickened and warmed in his grasp as the vampire drank. Finn felt himself hardening, his blood waging war over which direction to turn. "Please?" he heard himself beg in a desperate attempt for Damien to take even more.

The teenager was inviting his own doom more than he realized. It was so hard not to take everything, so hard not to drink until Finn went limp in his arms. With a groan, Damien's fangs sank in deeper and hall but crushed the boy to him as he came over Finn's hands, the release warmed by the young man's own blood. He would see Finn again. Maybe it would be part of the plan and maybe it wouldn't be, but there was so much more to try, to do... He wanted to be the first one to drive Finn to climax with just his cock the way he'd been the first to watch him cum from being bitten. /So much potential.../

The excitement of Damien's climax, coupled with the erotic pleasure/pain of the vampire's bite, set Finn off in an instant. He came again with a low, whimpering moan of pleasure. As he shuddered all over, darkness crept in around him and Finn relished the supreme bliss of being taken by Damien while finding his release. It was the most incredible feeling surrendering himself completely. His pounding heart began to slow, and consciousness began to slip away. And yet Finn wasn't afraid, even though a tiny voice in the back of his mind told him he should have been. All he wanted at that moment was to please Damien and to feed him until he had nothing left to give...

Damien wanted to give in to the desire that he felt, the want radiating off the gorgeous mortal in heady waves. He wanted to lose himself in Finn and take every last drop of blood from the man's body. But he wanted Blaine to learn his lesson more. The vampire drew back until he could look at the teenager's pale face. Finn was beautiful - wholesome, innocent. It was damn near impossible to keep from doing everything he could to corrupt that innocence. Instead he took a deep breath and reminded himself that a little patience would be well worth it. Damien licked at the wound and whispered, "Remember what I told you," before lying Finn on the bed and disappearing. He cleaned himself up and then brought a cloth in to wipe Finn clean. /Leave him a bit of dignity./

Though it would have been easy enough to carry the boy, Damien took his rarely-used car instead. It was a bit less conspicuous, though there was nothing that could be done for bringing the young man up to his doorstep save to do it. He lay Finn carefully on the chilly concrete and stopped to brush his lips against Finn's. It was, he realized, the first time he'd actually kissed him. "I'll see you again soon," Damien whispered before disappearing again into the night.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Author's Notes:** Our poor boys… one of those chapters that just hurts you to write.

Kurt hated the lonely drive home, but he thrilled at the idea of having Blaine's number. Now he at least had a thread of contact even through the long days. Indeed the young man was so blissful in this knowledge that he didn't notice that the front porch was occupied until he almost tripped over the young man laying there. "Finn!" Kurt gasped as he caught himself on the edge of the house. His stepbrother was pale even in the moonlight, but his chest rose and fell shallowly. /Thank god for that./ "Finn?" Kurt knelt at the other boy's side and turned his head. His blood ran cold at the sight of the marks there. He reached out, intent for a moment on loading Finn into the car and getting him to the hospital. /And then what? They'll want to know who did this. What if Finn doesn't remember? People have seen Blaine and I together.../ Silently Kurt begged forgiveness for his selfishness as he called out again, "Finn? Can you hear me? We need to get you inside."

Suddenly the front door flew open and Burt, who had been waiting up for the boys to return home and heard the commotion outside, took in the scene. "What the hell-?" he started, only to gather his half-conscious step-son up and haul him inside the house. Burt helped Finn down onto the sofa, and when the jock's head fell to the side, he caught sight of the vicious wound on his throat. "Jesus Christ," he swore under his breath. "Kurt, what happened? He was out looking for you."

Kurt bit his lip and reached out to touch Finn's cheek. He was warm but looked terrible. Whoever had gotten hold of him hadn't been interested in seducing him, they'd wanted to tear his throat out... or had at least come dangerously close to it. "Looking for me?" he murmured, his father's words finally catching up. "Oh, god... he... he was following me." Tears formed in Kurt's eyes, and he had to look away from them both. "I went to... to The Last Drop." It would have been impossible for Burt not to know the name of Lima's only vampire bar, and Kurt's hands twisted on his lap as he continued, "I met someone there... if I... if I'd known Finn... oh, god..." He would never have gone if he'd thought Finn was coming along behind him.

Burt couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had never had to really worry about Kurt. He was a good kid, got good grades, didn't do drugs. It was shocking and deeply disheartening to learn that his son was frequenting a vampire bar. "Mercedes called," Burt whispered, taking Finn's pulse. "That's how we knew you weren't with her. I was worried. Finn was worried. And he went out after you." Releasing his step-son's wrist, he confronted Kurt and whipped the scarf away from his throat. "You met someone? And you let them bite you? Dammit, Kurt! You could've been killed. Both you and your brother." He turned away and reached for the phone, dialing 911.

"No! Dad, please... he... I don't know who hurt Finn, but people there, they've... they've seen me with..." Kurt stopped himself just short of giving Blaine's name, uncertain whether it mattered but protective just the same. /Should've called 'Cedes. God. I was so distracted today!/ "He wouldn't hurt anyone, but he might get in trouble. I can't..." He felt a rush of shame at the fact that he couldn't have Blaine being hurt on his conscience when he already had Finn being hurt weighing on his heart. "We need to get Finn some juice, get his blood sugar up, get some vitamins in him." Kurt was almost shaking as he met his father's gaze. "Please?"

Burt was torn. He had never seen such desperation in Kurt's eyes before. "Alright," he heard himself agreeing against his better judgement. "We'll try and help Finn. But, if he gets worse, I'm calling an ambulance." Burt was firm on the matter. He didn't even know how or where to begin in dealing with Kurt. Worrying about vampires had never really been in the equation until they'd made themselves known. Now they were everywhere, and Kurt had gone and gotten himself involved with one. As he fetched a first aid kit and started to work on Finn's terrible wound, Finn tensed and arched, limping trying to brush Burt's hand away. "I'm only going to say this one, Kurt," Burt was adamant. "You are not to go near that place ever again."

Kurt felt as if his heart had been torn in half. And yet he couldn't protest. How could he say anything in his own defense when Finn was in such terrible shape. Instead he nodded, mute, and went to the kitchen to get juice and some of the gummy vitamins that Finn always preferred to the real thing. He saw that his father had finally managed to clean the wound off, and Kurt lifted the glass to Finn's lips. Everything felt oddly detached and mechanical. He couldn't see Blaine. The thought echoed through his head loud enough that Kurt found it surprising no one else seemed aware. "I need you to try and drink this, Finn," Kurt said in a calm voice that didn't seem at all right when the world was falling apart.

His head was swimming and Finn swayed in and out of consciousness. A sudden urgent thought entered his mind, something important that he wasn't supposed to forget. "Kurt?" he croaked out. "Are... you okay?"

"Yeah, he's okay now, buddy," Burt said, reassuring Finn. "We've gotta concentrate on taking care of you right now." He turned to his son, and nodded down at Finn's feet. "Grab his legs, I'll take his arms and we'll carry him to his room."

Kurt nodded, silent and pale as he did his best to carry his share of his brother's imposing form. Between the two of them, they managed to wrangle Finn upstairs and into bed. He still looked bad, but at least there was some color coming back to his cheeks, and his breathing was steady instead of shallow. Kurt stood gazing at him until he felt the weight of his father's stare resting on him instead. "I'm sorry," he whispered. The number carefully tucked into his pocket was like a lead weight. How could he possibly explain when he didn't understand himself? Kurt cast around for the right thing to say and finally began hesitantly, "It isn't... what happened to Finn, it wouldn't happen to me. He isn't like that. He isn't." /You've known him for two days. Can you really know that? That he's never done this to someone?/ Kurt bit his lip but fought the thought back. /But he'd never do this to _me_?/ Despite himself, Kurt couldn't help wondering if that was really enough.

"Kurt," Burt started with barely restrained anger, "you have no idea what these..._things_... are like." He took his son's arm and steered him away from Finn to whisper, "Look what they did to your brother. Just because you met one that seems nice doesn't mean he won't do the same thing to you." He sighed and shook his head, almost at a loss. How could he make Kurt understand? Wasn't seeing the shape Finn was in enough of a wake up call? "Kurt," he started more softly, "I don't know why you felt that need to go to that bar. But, please, don't go there again. Please, son?"

It was so much harder to say no when his father was asking, pleading for consent instead of simply ordering him. There were tears in the young man's eyes, and he looked down to try and hide them. "I never wanted anyone to get hurt. I... it just..." He couldn't explain what he felt for Blaine, couldn't explain being in love heart and soul with someone he barely knew. "I'm sorry," he whispered at last before biting his lip. He couldn't cry. Not now. It would be selfish. Finn had almost gotten himself killed just looking out for him.

Burt softened, realizing how tough he had been on Kurt. Still, there was no getting around the fact that his son had done something incredibly stupid and dangerous. Before he could ponder further on the matter, Burt heard Carol coming home and immediately turned to Kurt. "Stay with your brother and keep an eye on him." Steeling himself, he disappeared downstairs to break the news to his wife without giving her a heart attack.

"Kurt?" Finn stirred, lifting his eyes with an effort and searching for his stepbrother. Imprinted in his mind was the urgent need to keep Kurt safe, and he struggled to sit up and get his point across. "You can't go back there, you can't..."

The tears had begun to fall as soon as Burt disappeared, and Kurt tried to wipe them quickly away before he moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Taking one of Finn's hands, he nodded. "I know. I... I promise dad. Finn, I never wanted you to get hurt. If I'd had any idea you were worried or... or that you were coming..." It would have killed him, but he would have refrained from going back if he'd known that Finn was trailing him. "I'm so sorry... so sorry that... that you got hurt..." The tears were back, and Kurt couldn't stop them anymore. "I just wanted... I needed to see him... Finn, I'm sorry..."

"We were worried something... had happened to you... when Mercedes told us you weren't with her," Finn explained weakly. "I caught up with you... going into the club, and..." His expression blanked, and he struggled to remember anything afterward. "...I thought I'd found you, but... something happened." It was useless. Obviously he'd been attacked by a vampire... Only he couldn't recall how it had taken place. Again, the intense fear of Kurt being in danger returned. And Finn reached out for his stepbrother's arm. "Please don't go back there," he begged, expending what little energy he had left. His eyes fluttered closed, and Finn drifted off to sleep with a deep sigh.

Kurt climbed off the bed again just as Carol came in. She was sniffling, and he left her and his father to fuss over Finn. He felt ill. Instead of the elation that had started the evening off, Kurt felt sick to his stomach. Finn had been hurt because of him. His father was furious and, worse, disappointed. He'd lied to all of them. And he wasn't supposed to see Blaine. He was supposed to ignore the fact that he'd fallen in love because he'd once again fallen for the wrong person. Except that being with Blaine had made him realize that what he'd felt for Finn never really was love. It had been a crush. A silly schoolboy crush, and Kurt had barely survived giving that up unscathed. How was he supposed to lose Blaine?

Finn slept for the rest of the night and then for the better part of the day. Burt insisted on Kurt staying home from school to help look after his stepbrother, with him and Carol switching duties. Strangely, Finn's strength began to return the following night. It was odd due to the fact that he hadn't stirred even once, causing great concern for all. He was up and about and devouring almost anything he could find in the kitchen. Much questioning followed, but Finn could not remember anything about the attack. The only thing that was clear in his mind was making sure Kurt was safe. In fact, Finn was so adamant about it that he barely let him out of his sight. Now, back at school and sporting a bandage on his throat, he waited for Kurt outside everyone of his classes, escorting him through the halls. It was above and beyond being overprotective, especially since vampires couldn't come out during the day. But, Finn wasn't taking any chances.

Kurt rolled his eyes as once again Finn was waiting for him like a puppy dog outside of his French class. "You honestly don't have to-" The look on Finn's face stopped him, and he sighed, shifting the scarf around his neck instead. "Thank you. It's just... seems bit like overkill is all." He'd had a restless night and looked a bit worse for wear because of it. No amount of moisturizing could hide the fact that he'd barely slept. Once he'd been sure he heard something and turned to catch a glimpse of someone darting away from the window. Or he thought he had. The whole thing was muddled form the lack of sleep. He'd been sure it was Blaine and had actually rushed to the door to look only to find the way barred by his father.

After flinging himself dejectedly into the closest chair he could find - Finn naturally taking the post next to him - Kurt noticed that Puck was staring at his brother. "What is your problem, Puckerman?"

"Dude... dude, you actually did it, didn't you?" Puck's eyes were wide, and he ignored Kurt entirely as awe and admiration filled his face. "Finn, dude, you nailed a vampire! You found yourself some undead hottie, and you got down!" He reached out, jerking the bandage away to confirm his suspicions and gave a whoop of happiness. "I am so proud of you right now!"

Finn blushed-which, as it turned out, was nothing short of miraculous considering how pale he still was-and ducked his head sheepishly. His hand flew to his exposed wound, covering his throat and shivering with the sense memory of being bitten even if he couldn't remember the act. "It wasn't like that!" he hissed at Puck. "I didn't go there looking to 'get down,' I was following Kurt-" Finn broke off, shutting his mouth tightly as he gazed wildly at his stepbrother. He hadn't meant to tell anyone about Kurt's nightly jaunts to meet a vampire. But, Puck had goaded him on, and it had just slipped out. You could have heard a pin drop in the choir room.

Kurt leveled Finn with a stare that might have killed anyone who wasn't so oblivious only to have said glaring interrupted when Puck slammed himself down into the chair on Kurt's other side. "I don't know what you-"

The scarf was gone in an instant, and Puck grinned wide while most of the class proceeded to either pretend they weren't seeing what they were seeing or looked horrified. "DUDE! So you AREN'T frigid!"

The statement made Puck the new target of Kurt's wrath, and he snatched the scarf back, blushing, furious and utterly embarrassed. "It is none of your business what-"

"Totally, but, just... so, dude, is it as good as they say?" When Kurt just stared at him, Puck rolled his eyes. "Vampire sex, dude, is it... like, awesome? Because everybody says it's-"

"I am NOT talking to you about my sex life." Before Puck could lean across him to grab Finn again, Kurt slapped the hand that was stretching forward, "And neither is Finn."

Puck looked thoroughly annoyed and huffed, "Fine. But you just totally admitted you HAVE a sex life, Princess, so you can stop trying to pretend you-"

"I for one am thoroughly disappointed in both of you," came a shrill, disapproving voice from behind them. Rachel was fixing both stepbrothers with a gaze that spoke of imperious disapproval. "You should both know better than to go to those sort of places. It's _dangerous_," she hissed in a stage whisper. "We still don't know what happened to Mike. Honestly, one of those things probably-"

"Shut up, Rachel!" Kurt snapped with more venom than he'd really intended. "You know absolutely nothing, so just close your mouth and sit quietly for once in your life."

Rachel, looking like a kicked puppy, muted as she sat back down and blinked away the beginning of tears. Finn felt bad for her, but Kurt had been right. Rachel knew nothing about vampires or what had happened to him or his stepbrother. Mike, on the other hand, was a different matter. When their friend had disappeared, there had been instant rumors circulating about vampires being involved. That was countered with assertion of tensions between Mike and his father which probably forced the teenager to run away from home. Now, Finn didn't know what to believe.

The rest of class seemed drag by, and the later in the day it became, the more anxious the jock grew. His fingers wriggled reflexively, while his legs bounced nervously. His throat wound_throbbed_, nearly driving him to distraction. Flashes of his lost memory appeared like an old film in his mind; hands groping, sharp fangs, splashes of red... Instead of being terrified, Finn found himself growing gradually aroused. Without even realizing it, he had started to scratch at his arms. His fingernails bit deep into his skin, drawing blood.

Kurt leaned in toward Finn to comment on something Mr. Schu had said and caught sight of the blood. "_Finn_," he hissed, grabbing one of his stepbrother's hands to slow the progress and simultaneously raising his other hand. "Mr. Schu? Excuse me. I don't think Finn is feeling well. I'm going to get him home." Kurt didn't wait for a response before grabbing both their bags and more or less hauling his stepbrother from the room. Finn's larger stature didn't seem to slow Kurt's progress in the slightest, and once they were out of the room and away from prying eyes, he finally stopped at the lockers to drop their bags and examine the damage.

"Finn... what are you doing?" he questioned, fingers barely ghosting over the angry red marks. His heart pounded with an uncertain sort of fear. Finn was one of the most together people he knew most of the time. Even when he was making mistakes, they were usually met with a dopey, pleasant affability that was easy to understand and connect to. Self-mutilation was hardly in keeping with that. Not for the first time, Kurt wished that Finn remembered what had happened the other night. He'd been acting odd ever since, more than just blood loss could come close to explaining.

Finn blinked at his stepbrother, completely at a loss. He glanced down and realized what had caused Kurt so much concern. "Oh god..." Deep scratches criss-crossed his arms, with splashes of red staining his skin. Finn felt a thrum of fear in his heart, not understanding how it had happened... Until he saw torn flesh and blood under his own fingernails. "I... I don't know..." It was a feeble admission, even if it was the truth. He didn't remember harming himself, and he wasn't sure which was more frightening; not knowing or not feeling the pain. "What's wrong with me?"

Kurt found himself blinking back tears as he shook his head. "I don't know." Maybe his father was right... maybe... Kurt took a breath. Panicking would not help Finn. "Let's get home and get these cleaned up. Wouldn't want it to scar." It frightened him that Finn had managed to dig in deep enough to risk that without even noticing that he'd done it.

As they drove, Kurt fiddled with the radio and tried to keep a stream of reassuring chatter going. He felt anything but upbeat, but he wanted to take care of Finn. His stepbrother had risked his life, and now Kurt owed him at least being a good companion. As soon as they entered the house, Kurt urged Finn toward the bathroom. As he carefully dabbed hydrogen peroxide onto the cuts, Kurt asked, "You're... sure you don't remember anything? Nothing's come back to you at all?"

"Nothing." Finn shook his head as Kurt diligently worked to clean the scratches. "I get... flashes, that's all. But, none of it makes any sense." He wished he could remember, even if it was scary. At least then his life would make a kind of sense again. Confusion seemed to follow him around all the time, except this time it had swept up his emotions in the roiling cloud over his head. "Kurt, I... I think it was a dude, I mean... a male vampire who attacked me," Finn heard himself admitting. He flushed warmly. "I'm not sure. I really can't remember."

Kurt's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but he got himself under control quickly enough. "Well, it's... I mean, drinking blood isn't exactly a gender specific activity," he ventured, wondering if Finn actually needed any comforting about that fact. He sighed. "And it isn't like you went looking for it either way. I'm so sorry that... that someone did this to you. I'm also sorry that I didn't keep my temper to myself and now I'll have to apologize to Rachel to keep her from being insufferable. She just... I know that it can happen like this sometimes, like what happened to you, but..." It suddenly seemed desperately important that Finn know he hadn't been attacked because Kurt was just sneaking off for a cheap thrill. "I liked him. More than liked him. I know it's crazy, but I..." Kurt swallowed hard and grabbed a cloth to clean the skin from under Finn's nails even though it made his stomach flutter with nausea. "He didn't hurt me. He didn't trick me or attack me, it was... I wanted it. I love him."

Any other time Finn would have been ecstatic for Kurt. His stepbrother had been alone for a long time, had unspeakable shitty days at school thanks to bullies, and more than deserved a little happiness. But, this was a vampire they were talking about. And, something triggered itself in Finn's mind. Kurt was in serious danger. How could he make him understand? "You have to stay away from him, you have to!" he exclaimed, reaching out and grabbing Kurt's wrist with more force than he'd intended. Finn backed off, apologizing, "I'm sorry, bro... But, if anything happened to you... I don't want you to get hurt."

"I know," Kurt answered quietly, looking away under the guise of cleaning up the debris of band-aids and washcloths. "I promise dad already that I... wouldn't. I won't." He couldn't. He knew he couldn't. The very thought of that made him want to curl up into a ball and cry. Kurt's hand unconsciously moved toward his pocket, toward the cell phone there. He'd put in Blaine's number, dubbing the entry "Kevin" in case Burt or Carol decided to make sure he'd scrubbed his life clean of Blaine. And it wasn't as if it mattered. He couldn't call. He couldn't hear Blaine's beautiful voice and not go to him when that was what he wanted more than anything in the world. It had to be completely over. Kurt wiped his eyes quickly and suggested, "We could watch a movie. I'll even consent to ordering some of the revoltingly greasy pizza you like." He needed something, anything to keep him from giving in to the want for a few hours until he could justify crawling into bed and crying himself to sleep.

"That sounds pretty cool," Finn agreed, managing a soft, crooked grin. He hated seeing the pain in Kurt's eyes, and yet he couldn't help feeling relieved that his stepbrother would not be going to the bar again or seeing that vampire. Still, the voice in the back of Finn's head kept right on insisting that Kurt stay away from the undead. It rang like a constant alarm bell, reverberating in his skull. He watched him carefully as Kurt pulled himself together, picked up the phone and ordered a pizza. Finn channel surfed, growing increasingly frustrated with the vast amount of vampire-themed programming. Thankfully, he found a _Terminator_movie playing and settled back to watch it. After a while he turned to Kurt, feeling guilty over the day's earlier events. "You know, I really didn't mean to out you in front of everybody," he started, wearing a sheepish expression. "I'm sorry."

Kurt sighed and set his pizza down for a moment. "It was... not something I was planning on sharing, but... it's fine, Finn. Honestly. It was stupid of me to try and keep it secret. I think we both know that things have a way of finding their way out anyway. It was silly hiding something like that. I'm not ashamed, I..." /I'm just depressed./ He trailed off, staring at the screen without really seeing the movie as he continued to eat. "Anyway, it's fine. It's nothing I mind them knowing." He'd even left the scarf off, and Kurt couldn't help but reach up, rubbing his neck and letting his mind drift to Blaine's lips pressed against the same spot.

Finn noticed Kurt fingering the bite mark on his throat. It brought on a scowl of disapproval, which softened when he felt his own wound beginning to throb again. Another hot flash of fangs and soft lips, and a shiver of excitement coursed through Finn. He was on the verge of remembering what had happened, only to have it snatched away. "Kurt," he started, swallowing down a mouthful of pizza. "Did it... hurt? Being bitten, I mean?"

The question snapped Kurt out of his daze, and found himself looked at Finn uncertainly as if sure he was being mocked somehow. Finding that the inquiry was genuine, Kurt sighed and shook his head. "No. No, it... it didn't hurt at all. I thought it might, and... maybe it did for a second, but then..." Then things had happened that he really, really didn't want to be thinking too much about while sitting next to Finn trying to have a casual meal. "It felt good. Very good," he admitted, blushing at the confession.

Finn warmed at the Kurt's frankness and the way in which his stepbrother's voice grew dreamlike recalling the experience. "I still can't remember," he replied, frustration creasing his brow. "Just when I think I might, it all goes away again." His fingers ghosted over the wound, and Finn gave an involuntary shiver before returning to his pizza. As night approached, he found himself growing agitated again. It was almost as if something were building up inside of him waiting to explode. And Finn didn't know how to even begin to explain how he was feeling to Kurt. Finishing his soda, he pushed himself up off the sofa to go and get another. A rush of dizziness hit him, bringing the towering jock down to his knees with a groan.

Kurt was there in an instant, his hand on Finn's elbow, guiding him back onto the couch. "I think maybe it's time for bed." Going to class had apparently taken more out of Finn than he realized, and Kurt cursed himself for not paying better attention. He overruled his stepbrother's protests and instead led the other teen to his bedroom, depositing him there. "Normally I'd tell you not to go to bed without brushing your teeth, but right now I think you'd be a little too likely to fall and smash your head on the sink. Safer to avoid that." Kurt tugged off Finn's sneakers, wrinkling his nose at how filthy they were before pulling the blanket up over his stepbrother. "You can shower in the morning if you're a little steadier on your feet." He resisted the urge to kiss Finn's forehead the way his mother always had after going through a similar routine when he was younger, and settled for a warm smile instead. "Sweet dreams," Kurt wished quietly before going back out to the living room to clean up the remains of their meal.

"Thanks, bro." Finn didn't know what was wrong with him. But, he appreciated Kurt's concern. "Night," he called after him. Closing his eyes, Finn felt the lightheaded spell easing... Only to be replaced by a kind of nervous excitement. It was dark outside now, and the jock's heart thundered inside his chest. A fever enveloped him as he clawed reflexively at his sheets. Sweat broke out on his forehead as his breathing hitched. His eyes blinked open, with only one thing clear in his mind... /Damien./ It all came flooding back to him in a rush of intense memories. He had to find Damien, he _needed_ him, he _wanted_ him! Getting back on his feet, Finn hurriedly put his shoes back on and reached for his jacket... Only to pause at the door when he heard Kurt downstairs in the kitchen. /How am I gonna get past him?/ He turned in frustration, and then, without thinking twice about it, stuffed some pillows under the covers to make it appear as if he were sleeping. Finn padded over to his window, wrenched it open and spied the tree outside. Heedless of harming himself, he slithered out and climbed down. Landing on the grass with a less than delicate thump, he was already breaking out into a jog, desperate to be reunited with the vampire.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8**

**Author's Notes:** In which Gill and Arthur are both a little bit stupid and smut happens. Note, this chapter does contain character death, but… well, just remember this is a supernatural story. That's all I'm sayin'.

The solo shower helped. Honestly Merlin ached for the house with a bit more space. Still he couldn't quite talk himself into holding back. A quick wank in the shower did wonders to ease the tension that had built up, and Merlin crawled into bed feeling like he could keep himself together. He had to. It was as simple as that. The morning came with a dull sense of disappointment, of loss at what they couldn't have. But it was followed by a dawning hope that at least he had a life to look forward to, a life with Arthur even if it wasn't precisely the one he'd imagined. Merlin got dressed before moving over to the closet and knocking sharply. "Oi, it's night already. Some of us have places to be."

Arthur crawled out of the closet, his hunger threatening to consume him. After all the centuries of waking and feeling the need to drink human blood he thought he could control the urge by now. But, it only seemed to intensify the older he became. Thankfully, Merlin's protective spell was up and Arthur couldn't smell his intoxicating aroma... even if he did remember it with startling clarity. "Let me freshen up before you head out," he insisted, running a hand through his shaggy blond hair. "I don't trust what might be waiting out there in the night for you."

Normally Merlin would have scoffed at the concern, but after the previous night, he nodded instead. "Alright." Having Arthur walk him to work sounded like a good idea. Besides, it was a bit more time that they could spend together. "Get yourself decent, then. I'll eat something." Merlin let his gaze linger over the prince for just a second more before blushing and shuffling off to the kitchen. Staring like a lovesick schoolboy would do nothing for his resolve or Arthur's. A bowl of sugary cereal later, Merlin felt more awake and mostly ready to tackle the night no matter what it might bring with it.

Shutting his eyes as it block out the overpowering desire, Arthur finished bathing, dried himself off and started redressing. He realized that he only had one set of clothes with him, and something so mundane actually helped to distract him. It didn't exactly bother him, but he would have to find some new gear at some point. He stepped from the bathroom and his eyes filled with the sight of Merlin, looking utterly gorgeous and... edible. "Are you really wearing that?" he inquired. "Don't you have something a little less... revealing?"

Merlin blinked and looked down at himself only to blush. The jeans were tight. It wasn't really intentional, but they were a half size too small, but they'd looked alright, so he'd bought them anyway. And the shirt... well, it looked like something a teenager would go clubbing in. "They told me to dress like I was working at a club, okay? Just about got fired for wearing nothing but t-shirts when I started," Merlin muttered, running a hand over the see-through striped shirt and then shrugging into a jacket that would make it decent for the walk to work. "Least I don't have to dress like a rejected Transylvanian concubine like the vamps that work there."

"True," Arthur conceded, his expression still one of disapproval. "Still, looking like that, you might as well be wearing a sign that says _Drink Me_." Merlin was a walking, talking feast waiting to be pounced on and devoured. If it weren't for the sorcerer's cloaking spell, then Arthur didn't fancy his chances at all. Even with Merlin's scent hidden, the vampire had to summon up the last reserves of his will power _not_ to lunge for him. The shirt was bad enough, but those jeans... They left very little to the imagination, and Arthur salivated. His fangs emerged unbidden, and the former ruler quickly covered his mouth. There was no doubt about it; he would have to feed again if he ever hoped to make it through the night. "We'd better get going," he murmured through his hand, looking decidedly less confident and more sheepish than he cared to.

"Yeah, right," Merlin agreed, wrapping his arms around himself as they stepped out into the night air. He hated that Arthur was looking at him exactly the way he'd always wanted the man to look at him but he was somehow supposed to not do anything about it. He had everything he wanted served up on a silver platter and he was supposed to behave. They both were. It was a cruel, sick joke. Merlin took a breath and tried to remind himself to be thankful for the not-so-small favor of having Arthur with him at all. That helped somewhat, and he even managed a smile for the other man. "Promise I'm just a tease. Last night was stupid. Won't be doing that again."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Arthur replied, managing to get a hold of himself with some effort. His fangs retracted and his brushed his hand away from his mouth. Again he feared that his living arrangement with Merlin simply would not work. He desired the other man far too much for his own good. His hunger threatened to overpower him, and instead of grabbing a random stranger off the street, Arthur wondered if he might find that rather delicious Gill again. At least with feeding he could keep himself in check far better than chugging a bottle of _True Blood_. "Promise me you'll be careful." He fixed his gaze firmly on Merlin as the club came into sight. "I hate the idea of leaving you here. I'll stay if you want me to?"

"I'll be fine. Honestly. Besides, you've got paperwork to go sign later. Don't want us losing out on the house just because you were hovering about becoming a bar fly." Merlin gave the other man a gentle shove and flashed him one last smile before disappearing into the club. It was hard to be separated, but they couldn't cling to each all the time or they'd go crazy. They had to keep some sort of separation and walls up if there was going to be any chance of their arrangement working.

Gill couldn't stop craning his neck to look at the door. He hadn't spotted Mike at all, and his heart pounded helplessly at the idea that the vampire might be inside. What if he met someone else? What if last night had just been a quick bit of fun? The mortal swallowed hard and watched as the line slowly dwindled and he got closer to the door.

Arthur finished signing the papers, and the house was officially his and Merlin's. Afterwards he took the time to shop for some furniture to be delivered to the property before his concern for Merlin became overwhelming and he returned to the bar. Desperately thirsty, Arthur sensed Gill's presence long before the mortal came into view. He smelled delicious, and the vampire's fangs threatened to emerge as he approached the boy. Arthur could barely control himself, which was nothing short of shocking considering how old he was. Merlin miraculously coming back into his life had been the catalyst for this new-found wildness. Even thinking about Merlin made him crazy, and Arthur was chatting Gill up before he even realized what was happening. "Do you mind some company?" he asked, hunger evident in his eyes and voice.

Gill glanced at the door again. He'd honestly expected to see Mike sooner. /Maybe he's not even coming. Just because he was nice doesn't mean he's your boyfriend./ The thought stung, and Gill nodded. "Yeah, sure," he agreed, stepping out of the line once again to fall into step beside Arthur instead. He didn't get a lot repeat customers, so to speak. That someone as hot as Arthur was hitting on him a second night in a row was something to be proud of... it just wasn't as exciting as the thought of Mike coming back had been. "Miss me?" he teased to cover up the sadness threatening to squeeze in. /This is why it's easier not to give a shit./ Maybe some fun with Arthur would remind him why he didn't worry about anything steady in the first place.

Arthur's intense hunger drowned out Gill's plea for more. The ancient vampire was too far gone to stop, and he clung to the mortal tighter as he feasted upon his blood. Merlin continued to fill his thoughts; the see-through shirt, the obscenely tight pants, his ethereal beauty. It proved all too much for Arthur. He began to grind against Gill, his moans of need muffled against the other man's throat. Gill tasted just as wonderful as he remembered, his blood rich and sweet and invigorating. Instead of being sated, Arthur found himself growing even more wildly desperate.

Instead of relaxing, Gill felt himself tensing as his head swam and his consciousness drifted. "S-stop..." It was the first time he'd ever said that when someone was feeding. Normally he would have been begging for something other than just being fed on, but Gill felt a thrill of fear instead. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to lose every chance of making things right, of knowing whether the night before had been the start of something or the end. When Arthur didn't budge, Gill tried to raise a hand and give the man a shove but it had no effect at all, mostly because he wasn't even able to lift his hand. Panic rose within the boy as he tried to speak again, to do anything that might convince Arthur to stop, but all he managed was a weak moan.

Arthur was deaf to the Gill's plea, heedless of the boy's attempt to get away from him. He sank his fangs in even harder and deeper, drawing more of the mortal's blood into his mouth. A red haze seemed to settle around Arthur, drowning him in warmth and seducing him into feeding with a hunger he had not known since he had first been turned. He drank and drank until there was nothing left, and the body in his arms went cold and limp. His blood-lust unsated, the crazed vampire discarded the boy without a thought and stalked off into the night, searching for another victim...

*****

Mike found himself arriving at the bar much later than he'd anticipated. He felt nervous and excited all at the same time over seeing Gill again. The mortal had plagued his thoughts from the moment he woke up, and Mike was saddened not to find him still in the apartment. Gill's scent, however, had lingered, and it stoked the vampire's desire to the point where he'd had to restrain himself from seeking the other man out from the start. He deflated when he didn't find Gill waiting outside _The Last Drop_. /Of course. He's probably inside./ Mike started forward, only to pause when he caught a familiar aroma nearby. It came from the shadowed alleyway between the buildings. Gill's need to be bitten must have gotten the better of him. He stepped into the darkness, only to feel the world crash around him. "Gill!" Mike was a blur of supernatural speed, gathering the fallen mortal in his arms and desperately searching for a sign of life. There was nothing. "No, no, no... Gill, please..." Tears of blood pooled around his eyes as instinct took over and Mike bit into his wrist. He held it to Gill's mouth to no avail. The boy was gone, dead. He cradled him in his arms, rocking back and forth, mourning for someone he barely knew that had touched his undead heart in a short amount of time. Everything Mike had feared had come true, and no amount of pleading with Gill to be careful had done any good...

*****

Arthur had encountered another fang-banger, this time a young woman in her early twenties. Short and slender, with dark hair and red streaks, wearing Gothic clothing. He was so blinded by his hunger that he didn't even waste time introducing himself. Instead, he grabbed her right off the street and dragged her behind one of the nearby buildings. She cried out in alarm at first, only to surrender herself when she realized it was a vampire. Arthur began to feed, drinking greedily until, finally, something in his mind clicked and he backed off when the girl's pulse began to slow. He released her with a shock, remembering what he had done to Gill in the alley. Arthur, taking care to make sure the woman was alright, rushed back to where he'd left Gill... only to find the alley strangely empty. He couldn't sense Gill at all, and yet there was no trace of him whatsoever. Arthur stumbled out toward the bar's entrance, reeling as he walked into the club, drenched with blood.

Merlin looked up at the sound of the door only to feel his jaw dropping. There was a growl from someone he couldn't identify, and Merlin all but launched himself over the bar, hurriedly shoving Arthur back out and then grabbing the man's arm to drag him over to the shadowy area most of the employees used for smoke breaks. "What in the hell happened?" he demanded, taking in the blood. He hoped to god it came from more than one person because if not... Merlin swallowed hard and tried not to get ahead of himself. His hand was shaking, but he didn't let go of Arthur's arm and met the man's gaze evenly. Whatever had happened, they could fix it. Somehow they could fix it. He repeated the words in his head until they began to sound true.

"I... I think I killed someone." Arthur, dazed, mouthed the words and registered the shock in his voice. He was trembling, glancing down at his hands and finding them stained, like his clothing, with the damning evidence of his actions. Unable to fully comprehend what he had done, the vampire turned pleading eyes to Merlin as if the other man was the only person in the world who could help him. "Merlin, I... I was out of control... I don't know how it happened." He glanced over his shoulder at the alley and shuddered. "When I went back, he... he was gone."

"Maybe... he was just hurt?" Merlin suggested, feeling a surge of hope at the last news. It wasn't like there was a vampire clean up crew running around picking up bodies off the streets. "I mean, had to be, yeah? Dead people don't just go walking around." He couldn't help staring at the blood. There was so much. So much. He licked his lips and finally ventured, "Was there... there anyone else?" God, he hoped so. One person couldn't lose that much blood without being dead. They just couldn't. Something else struck Merlin before Arthur could even answer, and his eyes widened. "We have to get you somewhere else. My place. Anywhere. Clean you up. The whole bar saw... there'll be questions, Arthur... so much blood..."

Arthur nodded dumbly, following Merlin as he led him away from the bar and back to his modest apartment. He felt as if he were having an out-of-body experience, staring down upon the scene but not really taking part in it. And yet it had all really happened. For the first time centuries Arthur Pendragon had lost complete control and taken a life in a blind feeding frenzy. "There was another... a girl, but... I stopped, she was alright," he finally admitted. Still shaking once they reached the safety of Merlin's home, Arthur couldn't remember ever feeling quite so guilt-ridden. "Do you see now, Merlin?" he exploded. "I am animal. That could just as easily have been you!"

"Still have ego the size of the castle," Merlin muttered before raising a hand. In seconds, Arther was surrounded with what felt like chain but looked like nothing more than a few delicate strands of light. "It couldn't. You don't have to be in control for me to be in control. I shouldn't have left you alone tonight." He'd texted a coworker quickly on the way home to explain that there was a "family emergency" and he wouldn't be back for a few nights at least. "Things are... it's... a big thing. This." /Whatever the hell this even is./ "So we both need some time to get hold of ourselves. I shouldn't've left you to do that alone." He held out a hand and swallowed hard because it was going to take sheer force of will to keep the next stage of the operation strictly friendly. "Let's get you cleaned up."

Arthur didn't understand how Merlin could be so calm about his detestable actions. He was far more dangerous than he realized, especially to lose control after all these years. "This hasn't happened since I was first turned," he heard himself explaining mutely. "I was wild for the first few years, traveling all over the world, killing without a second thought or a single care." Arthur, his face a mask of dried scarlet tears, finally met Merlin's gaze. "Half the stories you hear about vampires are probably because of me." He reached out and almost tentatively grasped the other man's wrist. "I'm so scared of hurting you. Tonight, I wanted to taste you _so_ badly." His shaggy blond head drooped. "I can't even guarantee it won't happen again."

The words were frustrating and exciting all at the same time. Merlin cursed himself for not being able to keep himself in check. It wouldn't help Arthur if he was all worked up over it. Merlin covered Arthur's hand with his own and then reached out to tip Arthur's chin up. "I trust you. Even when you don't trust yourself. Isn't that what loving someone is?" He knew it was too intimate, but Arthur needed to re-learn how to be close without it being terrible. "Anyway, clean. You need to be that. Now. It's disgusting, frankly. Blood might be a thing for you, but... disgusting." Merlin stepped in and began jerking Arthur's jacket off, the act comforting and familiar even after not having done it for so many years. "Off with the rest or I'll take it off myself. We'll burn it or dump it or something, but AFTER you get a shower."

A wide range of emotions shadowed Arthur's face-everything from frustration to grief to anger-as he stripped off his shirt, kicked off his shoes, and peeled off his trousers. Everything was soaked in blood, even his skin, marking him with the shame of his actions. He didn't think twice about being naked in front of Merlin. After all, he had been hundreds of time before when his former servant would help him to dress. However, Arthur was far more muscular now than when he last saw Merlin. His undead status forever freezing his physique in time.

Merlin swallowed hard. The man was gorgeous. He had always been gorgeous, but... blood or no blood, he felt his heart thump at the visual of Arthur naked and on display in front of him. With an effort, he averted his gaze and put his hands on Arthur's shoulders, shoving him toward the bathroom. "Get clean. There's soap, washcloths, shampoo, whatever." There was no way he could keep his cool through helping with the process, so Merlin knew it was best that he stay behind. "Meanwhile, I'll get rid of these clothes and find something that might fit you." They were by no means the same size, but he felt sure he had some sweats or something stashed that would do well enough in a pinch.

Arthur obeyed with a sort of numb acceptance over what he had done. He showered, turning the water on the hottest setting and spending an inordinate amount of time scrubbing the blood stains from his body. The red-tinted spray puddled around his feet, swirling and disappearing down the drain. Arthur felt almost lost; wildly losing control was something he thought he would never have to deal with again. It was terrifying. Especially adding Merlin to the equation. /How can this ever work? I don't want to lose him again, but I don't want to hurt him.../ Torn, the former ruler shut off the water and stepped out of the shower. Drying off, he wrapped a towel around his waist and rejoined Merlin in the other room. "I guess I should have followed my instincts and went shopping for clothes tonight," he murmured.

"Yeah, well, I'm playing hooky from work for a few days, so we can do it tomorrow." Merlin had ditched the clothes in a dumpster a few blocks away. Considering the muck already inside, he didn't picture anyone getting grabby - or wondering what the mystery stains were. "Right now we just need to lay low. Put some clothes on the bed." He prayed that they wouldn't be hearing any sirens soon. It would have been hard to explain the blood. It was frowned on for vamps to drink from humans at all, but it was outright illegal for them to kill any. He caught the look that Arthur was giving him, that worried, half-pitying look, and rose from his chair. "That's enough of that. Seriously. Do you have any idea how many times I have saved your life, Arthur Pendragon? You're awfully full of yourself if you think I'm going to let you do anything that I don't want you to do. In fact... try. Honestly, go on. Try."

Arthur knew what Merlin was trying to do. He didn't want to give into the goading, but the pushing got to him and the vampire was rushing forward in a blur of supernatural speed. Heedless of his towel falling away from his glistening body, Arthur grabbed Merlin's wrists and pinned him against the wall. He bared his fangs, growling, "I could kill you right now, Merlin! I could tear into your throat and drink you dry! What are you going to do to stop me?" Tormented with guilt and anguish, what happened next was totally out of his control. Arthur lunged and covered Merlin's mouth with his own, kissing him with all the aching longing he'd felt over the centuries.

Merlin had intended to show the man just how well he could defended himself, but the magic he'd summoned faltered, flickered, and died at the sudden attack because the attack wasn't at all of the type he'd expected. Instead Merlin found himself kissing the man he'd been dying to touch for longer than he could remember. He could feel every inch of Arthur's damp skin even through the shirt and jeans he wore, and it was like a dream. He'd had the dream more than once, after all, had woken gasping as he touched himself and thought of the man he thought he would never see again.

The taste on his lips was minty - Arthur had apparently brushed his teeth - and sweet and perfect. The kiss was anything but sweet. It spoke of desperation, the same desperation he felt welling inside himself at the touch. The sorcerer was hard in seconds, his whole body straining to press in as tightly as possible against Arthur's as his lips parted to deepen the kiss.

Somewhere in the back of his mind Arthur knew he should have stopped, torn himself away, but he couldn't... Kissing Merlin was sweeter than his wildest dreams, his mouth even softer and silkier than they looked. It was everything he had ever hoped for and more. Bliss swept over the vampire and he groaned as Merlin's lips invited him inside. He accepted, snaking his tongue over perfect teeth and sampling the delights awaiting him. Arthur groaned, writhing against Merlin as his bruising grasp on the other man's wrists increased.

Merlin felt the grip, which had been exciting, tighten to the point of pain. He shifted his hands, and when it had no effect, Merlin's eyes glowed amber behind his closed eyelids. He gave Arthur a second more, and then a force pressed between their skin, parting Arthur's fingers and then seeming to slide around his wrists. They were drawn back and down, finally coming to a stop behind Arthur's back where they remained locked as if tied together. "Told you," Merlin muttered against the former king's lips as his now-freed hands rose to cup Arthur's face gently.

"Merlin," whispered Arthur, finding it impossible to untangle his arms. It should have startled him enough to wake him from his stupor of desire. Instead it only seemed to add fuel to flame. Merlin's touch was impossibly warm and achingly tender. Something akin to a whimper forced itself from his throat as he nuzzled the sorcerer's pillow-soft lips, desperate for more. "I believe you," Arthur whispered before recapturing Merlin's sweet mouth. He kissed him deeply, with enough passion to steal Merlin's breath away. Although he couldn't touch him, the vampire pressed himself forward and groaned at the renewed contact.

"Better," Merlin answered, finally pulling back and staring at Arthur with eyes gone a deep, inky blue with passion. "Bed. Now." He waited until Arthur stopped looking dazed and actually complied before he let the magic fall away and freed the man's hands again. Once Arthur was seated on the bed, Merlin allowed himself to smile faintly and slowly began to strip off his work clothes. "You liked the view with the clothing on..." He was obviously joking, but there was a flicker of nervous pleasure at the idea that Arthur probably would rather enjoy the show. It was a bit too hurried to count as a strip tease, but Merlin didn't care. He bared himself happily and never let his eyes leave Arthur's.

Arthur drank in Merlin's splendor, groaning softly as another surge of desire rushed through him. "Oh, Merlin," he whispered, reaching out and covering slender hips with his hands, drawing him in closer. His lips brushed the other man's abdomen, flowing over his warm skin and groaning at the taste of him. Overcome with his long-held passion for the sorcerer, he was too far-gone to stop now even if he wanted to. "Beautiful," Arthur murmured, urging Merlin forward until the other man was straddling his lap. He cradled the back of the mortal's head, drawing him into another meaningful kiss.

"Like you," Merlin murmured as he wriggled his hips against Arthur's. It felt like absolute heaven. Maybe this encounter wasn't turning out to be something hopelessly romantic, something like what they deserved after so long, but after everything they had both been through, it was enough. They'd suffered apart and together, and they deserved each other. They deserved to have one another completely under any circumstances they could manage. "Just a second." Merlin scrambled off the other man's lap only to return to the same position a few moments later with a half full bottle of lube clutched in his hand. "Want to do the honors?"

"Yes," Arthur heartily agreed. He wasted no time in pouring a generous amount of the viscous fluid on his fingers. Then, he reached out Merlin's body and eased one digit into the warm inviting space between the other man's magnificent ass. Arthur groaned as that tight ring of muscle clamped around him, and as he carefully pried Merlin open, he sought out that delicious mouth again. Instead of feeling out of control, the vampire found that kissing Merlin made him surprisingly calm and centered. Although he was wildly aroused, there was no bloodlust. "Want you," he murmured against those sweet lips, "need you..." His finger sank deeper into the furnace of Merlin's body, wriggling as it stretched those slick walls.

"Another," Merlin hissed out almost at once. He didn't have the patience for long, slow preparation, but it had been long enough that he knew at least something was necessary. Arthur wasn't exactly under-endowed. The thought drew a low groan from the sorcerer, and he couldn't help pushing back against Arthur's fingers. Thankfully his wanton need seemed to match Arthur's own. They both needed it badly. They were both desperate. And wrong as it was, it was also absolutely perfect. "Please, Arthur, more... just a little more..."

Arthur complied, taking great care in adding a second finger and moaning as he felt Merlin's body opening that much further to his tender ministrations. His own cock, swollen with borrowed blood, ached terribly. Knowing that he would soon be buried within the man he loved and had longed for nearly finished the vampire. His mouth roamed all over Merlin's heaving chest, kissing his way up and over his sensitive throat. Incredibly, his fangs remained in check, and again, Arthur marveled over how his fears of harming Merlin seemed unfounded. "Touch me," he begged the sorcerer. "Please?"

"Gladly," Merlin agreed, taking the other man in hand with a gasp as if he was being touched instead. After wanting Arthur for so long, after thinking that they could never be together, he couldn't imagine anything being more perfect. Seedy hotel rooms and unexpected beginnings meant absolutely nothing compared to the bliss of what they were sharing together. His fingers clutched tighter at Arthur's cock as the man's fingers brushed the exact right spot again. "There... right there," he assured, eyes fluttering closed and head thrown back.

Over the centuries Arthur had witnessed many wondrous things, but none of them compared to the awe of Merlin flushed and writhing with arousal. The tight walls of Merlin's tender passage clamped down around his fingers, and with a groan of effort, Arthur managed to wriggle them even deeper inside. Another graze of his digits across the swollen nut of Merlin's prostate, and the vampire reveled in the pleasurable shudders that quaked intensely through the other man's wondrous body. His eyes settled on the sorcerer's exposed throat, and again, Arthur marveled over how there was no urge to drink from him. Instead, he latched his mouth on Merlin's neck, nibbling and licking at the sensitive flesh.

Merlin groaned aloud at the touch. His hips were bucking, the excitement well beyond his control no matter how desperate he might appear. If it wasn't for the fact that it had been awhile and Arthur had plenty to offer below the waist, he would have insisted that they cut the foreplay short. Instead he panted, "Another. Arthur, another finger, please." It would have to be enough because Merlin was fairly certain if he went more than a few more minutes without feeling Arthur inside him, he would spontaneously combust. "Always knew you'd feel good, just never realized... I never knew..." He shuddered and wrapped his arms more tightly around Arthur's body.

Arthur eagerly accepted the invitation, moaning against Merlin's delicious throat. Despite the rising need, he took great care in easing another finger inside the slick heat of the other man's body. Those tender walls clamped around his invading digits, caressing them and making Arthur's swollen prick ache with desire. "You're beautiful, Merlin," he whispered, lavishing his neck in kisses. "You're everything... everything I've ever wanted..." Buried up to the knuckle, the vampire wriggled his questing fingers, then twisted them, holding onto Merlin with his free hand as tremors ripped through him. He hated that he couldn't smell the other man, even if it was for the best. Instead Arthur relished the feel of him, loving the sensation of Merlin's dripping arousal brushing against his skin.

"Oh... that's... that's enough, I'm... I can't wait anymore," Merlin confessed in a breathless whisper. He needed Arthur, and he needed him at once, needed to feel him. Merlin finally gave over and fell back onto the bed, wriggling up toward the pillows before reaching out to the other man. "C'mon, no teasing. We're way past teasing." He managed a flicker of a smile, but the lust was too strong for him to feel much more than sheer, raw desire that left him trembling with want. However soon Arthur was inside him it wouldn't be soon enough.

He leaned forward, fairly trembling with need. "Merlin," he whispered the other man's name reverently before brushing their lips together once more. Then, he was pressing forward and groaning as the tip of his aching cock breached the tight ring of Merlin's opening. Slowly he sank inside, gripped by the most incredible pleasure and the most wonderful heat.

"Oh, fuck, Arthur," he hissed. Romance was wonderful, but this wasn't the moment for it. Later he would make sure that they talked about issues, dealt with things, was as sweet about it all as their finally coming together really deserved, but for now, Merlin wanted nothing more than to feel. The sensation of Arthur driving inside of him left Merlin wanting more and yet needing it to last at the same time. They'd been going crazy for so long that it would be a disservice if they didn't enjoy every last second. "Perfect."

Beyond anything Arthur could have ever dreamed of, he groaned out his agreement. "Merlin, yes..." His lips, warmed from the vast amount of blood he'd taken, settled on the sorcerer's throat again, raining lavish kisses all over Merlin's neck. Pleasure sang through Arthur's undead frame, and when he finally buried himself completely within the tight sheath of the other man's body, it took a monumental effort to still himself and relish the sensation of being joined with the man he'd longed for. "Beautiful," he whispered, his tongue licking at Merlin's shoulder now. "So beautiful..."

Merlin shivered as Arthur's tongue dragged over his skin. He let his eyes close and simply relished the feeling of Arthur being inside him. After what felt like a few dozen lifetimes, they were together, and it was precisely where they'd always been meant to be. As Merlin's eyes finally opened, he found himself smiling up at the other man. Reaching down, his hands planted themselves firmly on Arthur's ass. Still smiling, Merlin's hips rose in silent encouragement. "Think we've both had enough time to adjust... also, pretty sure I'll lose it if you don't start moving."

Arthur felt the same way. Merlin's body was incredible, the sensation of being surrounded by him, of the other man's heated touch, and Arthur nearly came unraveled at the seams. "Got to take this slow," the vampire warned, licking at Merlin's grinning mouth. "Otherwise, I'm really not going to last very long." Then, he started to move, his hips rising and falling languidly. Arthur shuddered, overwhelmed by the intense pleasure of his swollen cock thrusting deeper and deeper into Merlin's tight passage. The slick heat was so amazing it was almost painful, and Arthur groaned helplessly.

"R-right... slow..." Merlin knew that Arthur was right, but the slow pace had him aching for more. He was all but panting as he thought about Arthur driving into him with abandon. He forced himself to focus on the feelings they were sharing now instead of what he wanted next, and Merlin felt himself relaxing at last. "I love the way you feel in me. Think I... mentioned that, but... bears repeating... and repeating again... I always knew... always knew..."

"Oh, Merlin, you... have no... idea... how perfect... you are," Arthur whispered, one large hand brushing through the sorcerer's hair. He was barely keeping control as his hips continued their tortuous rise and fall. His enormous cock drove deep, then made the slow slide back out. The pleasure was unlike anything Arthur had ever experienced in his many centuries walking the earth. "Wonderful... so, so wonderful..." Another crippling shudder as Merlin's slick walls tightened around him, and the vampire buried his face in the sorcerer's throat. "Need you," his heated words were muffled. "Never realized... how much..."

Merlin had. He'd known pretty quickly that the dragon was right even when he didn't want it to be the truth. They belonged together. They fit together. It was everything that Merlin had known it could be, and he breathed a sigh of happiness as the man moved inside him. More than once he had pretended that a lover was Arthur, had wished that they were really what he needed, but no one even came close. "I need you... want you..." After this, Merlin knew that he'd never convince himself to let go of the man again. "All yours, Arthur..."

Despite his firm assertion to take things slow, Arthur had started thrusting faster, more heatedly, without even realizing it. Merlin felt too good, and the vampire found himself overwhelmed by the pleasure singing through his body. "You have me, always," he promised raggedly. Another deep kiss of passion and Arthur's hips churned, his long, thick cock scrapping along the tender walls of Merlin's grasping channel. He shuddered, groaning against the other man's sweet mouth. Merlin surrounding him, his legs draped like velvet cord around him, his hot hands groping his pumping ass-it was almost too much to take in. Arthur reached between them, nearly scorching his palm on Merlin's arousal, which fairly leaped into his grasp. Rock hard and dripping wet, his stroked the sorcerer with each plunge of his own bloated length.

Merlin was soon gasping and murmuring words of encouragement with every thrust. He'd never been so turned on in his life, and it was making holding on at all an embarrassingly futile attempt. He couldn't help but relish the way it felt to finally have Arthur after wanting him and loving him in secret for so long. The touch of the man's hand and the hard heat of him inside soon had Merlin hovering on the edge of release. "I can't... god, I can't... can't hold on," he panted against Arthur's ear. "Want you to cum with me..."

"Yes, ohhhh... Merlin, yes..." The pleasure was so intense, so wonderful that it was almost painful. Hearing those sweet words whispered hotly in his ear nearly finished him. Merlin's swollen cock pulsed greedily against his stroking palm. and Arthur groaned at the abundant wetness which covered his fingers. His mouth watered; the urge to taste the sorcerer's tempting essence nearly overwhelming him. There would be plenty of time for that afterward... His hips rose and fell in rapid succession as his own bloated length plunged deeper and deeper, tearing relentlessly into Merlin. Finally, it was all too much, and sealing their lips together, Arthur came with a guttural roar, painting the walls of that flaring passage in undead seed.

The sorcerer was panting out his release seconds later, muscles clamping down around Arthur's pulsing cock. It felt better than he could ever have imagined. It felt absolutely perfect. The warm wetness of release spread between them, but Merlin couldn't let go of the other man. He clung to Arthur as if the vampire would disappear the moment he let up for a second. "Love you," he whispered into Arthur's ear. Though his voice was husky with desire, the words were crystal clear.

How Arthur had longed to hear those sweet words falling from Merlin's lips! After centuries of loneliness, the former ruler felt something old and disused unlocking deep within his chest. Was it really possible for a vampire to share genuine affection for another? Arthur wouldn't have thought it possible. But what he was feeling right now for the incredible man embracing him made him feel almost mortal again. "I love you too," he heard himself declare. "I always have." Gazing deeply into Merlin's eyes, the emotions exchanged between them overwhelmed the vampire. Arthur swooped in, kissing him with an aching tenderness that left his senses reeling.

That was certainly true for him as well. It had been evident from the start no matter how he tried to fight it that the dragon was right - they were bound together. Kilgarrah simply saw it before they did themselves. And yet they were barely acquaintances and he'd hardly even liked the prince the first time he saved the man's life. Not long after, Arthur returned the favor, risking himself and his father's anger to save Merlin from certain death from Nimueh's poison. They needed each other. When the kiss ended - he at least needed to breathe - Merlin grinned up at the other man. "You realize, of course, that I'm probably never letting you out of my sight again."

Arthur returned Merlin's smile, caressing his beautifully flushed cheek with elegant fingers. "I'm going to hold you to that," he replied, shifting sinuously against the other man's body. Still buried deep within the tight sheath of Merlin's embrace, and remaining achingly hard despite his explosive climax, Arthur marveled at the incredible feelings sweeping over him. "I never thought I'd be able to control myself with you." Nuzzling Merlin's throat, the vampire's hunger kept itself in check as he plied the sorcerer's neck with kisses. "I was certain I'd hurt you..." His voice segued into a groan as desire demanded he move again. Arthur trembled as his hips churned, and the intense pleasure of making love to Merlin overwhelmed him again.

"You wouldn't. Know you wouldn't." Unless, of course, he let his control slip. Merlin fought to keep the spells that protected them both in place as Arthur began to move again. By all rights it should have been too much, but instead of protesting, Merlin's body responded at once. Any blood that had escaped back to his brain was quickly throbbing downward. "Keep doing that," he murmured as Arthur's cock slid smoothly out and then in again. The control was hard, but it was worth it if it meant he could have this, if it meant he could have _Arthur_at last.

How could anything or anyone possibly feel this wonderful? It might have been easy to chalk the overwhelming sensations up to magic. But Arthur knew deep down it was all Merlin. Everything he had ever wanted and longed for was right here in his arms. And the reality of being with Merlin was more incredible than his most heated dreams. "Not gonna stop," he promised, still plying the sorcerer's throat with kisses. Arthur's hips thrust languidly, and with each stroke of his massive cock along Merlin's clenching channel, the vampire shuddered and groaned with passion.

"Good," Merlin answered, the word a bare exhalation as he focused all of his attention on moving along with the other man. Arthur's cock pressed into him. The length was long and thick and stroked against Merlin's prostate with delicious persistence. "Don't think anybody else could get me hard again so soon. Bloody disgusting how easy I am," he teased with a smirk. "Then again, you are the king. Perfectly understandable acting like a teenage groupie, yeah?"

"As long as you're easy for me, you can behave any way you see fit," Arthur chuckled lustily, nipping playfully at Merlin's mouth. By all that was sacred, he could not remember feeling this good... this alive! His hips churned, his cock pistoning into the sorcerer and staking its claim with every renewed thrust. "We were both fools," the vampire declared between groans of pleasure. "We should have told each other how we felt ages ago..." Fingers sinking into Merlin's hips, Arthur deftly rolled onto his back until the other man was effectively riding him... and all without losing contact. He wanted to watch him. To drink in the beautiful flush of his body, the ecstasy tearing at his lovely face, the way his swollen length twitched for him...

"Perfect now. Just the way it is," Merlin assured as he began to move, barely breaking the rhythm of his hips. "Just like this." He lost the thread of his own thoughts and wasn't sure if he was talking about the immediate moment or the whole situation, but it didn't really matter. All that mattered was the way it felt to move in time with Arthur and to find himself at last looking down at the other man while they were both lost in the throes of passion. "You've got no idea how badly... how long I've... oh, Arthur..." Merlin rose and then slammed himself down hard on the other man's cock, and his whole body spasmed with the rush of pleasure.

Arthur's groan of ecstasy bordered on primal. He arched and shuddered, throwing his shaggy blond head back against the pillows. His raging arousal devoured Merlin's writhing body, while digging his fingers into the sorcerer's phenomenal ass. "Unnhh!" the vampire gasped, his fangs abruptly glinting in the dim light of the room. Still in control of his baser instincts, Arthur pricked his tongue and then drew Merlin into another decadent kiss of passion. If he couldn't drink from the man he loved most in the world, then by God Merlin would taste him. His thrusts grew more intense, plowing into the other man as Merlin churned around him. He reached around filled his hand with Merlin's swollen length, the heat from which threatened to scorch his palm. Arthur stroked languidly, which was in sharp contrast to their wild lovemaking. He licked all around Merlin's sweet mouth, descending into muffled moans as he allowed his lover to drink his fill.

He'd never gotten so hot so quickly before after getting off, and Merlin was fairly certain that no one but Arthur could have done it. The sheer blissful relief of being with the man was almost enough, nevermind how fucking amazing it felt to have Arthur inside of him. Ever second and every touch drew another groan, another shudder, another twitch of Merlin's hips. He would have expected the coppery taste of the blood to be repulsive, but instead he found himself suddenly understanding why there were people clamoring for a taste. As the liquid trailed down his throat it felt as if liquid fire was surging through his body. Merlin broke the kiss with a gasp, his fingers clutching at Arthur's shoulders.

Arthur didn't think it was possible for their coupling to be any hotter, or for Merlin to be more beautiful. But the sight of his blood staining the sorcerer's mouth was so incredibly erotic. And the vampire nearly erupted again as Merlin continued to slam down on his aching length. Ecstasy swiftly transformed him into a quaking mass of need. There was really no way he could hole back. He wanted to make love in a slow, sensual rhythm, since they had both waited so long for this moment. And yet it quickly became a hot, frantic fury of wild fucking. Arthur murmured half-hysterically to Merlin, kneading, probing, rubbing, jabbing. "God, I love you... love you so much," he murmured, kissing every inch of Merlin he could reach.

"Love you too," Merlin panted as he continued to move. Finally he gripped the rickety headboard with one hand and used that as leverage. "Touch me, Arthur... please... so close..." He knew it wouldn't take much, a few strokes and he'd be finished, but he couldn't resist. He wanted to let go and share that ecstasy with Arthur again. They would have other nights, other times together. There wasn't any doubt in his mind now. They'd found each other, and whatever it took, Merlin had no intention of letting the man go ever again. "Please," he begged again, sweat dripping down his back as they both got closer and closer to the perfect moment of pleasure.

Arthur found himself yet again grateful for whatever power held his baser vampire instincts in check. If it hadn't been for the invisible leash, then he had no idea what he might have done when Merlin started to sweetly beg. "Yes, oh god... yes," he rasped, closing the fingers of one hand around a nipple, while the other stroked his lover in a blur of supernatural speed. Arthur grunted wildly, churning his hips, thrusting his pelvis up into Merlin's ass, whimpering deliriously. "Unnhh... ohhhh, Merlin... you're making me... fuck... cum again..." He erupted in a devastating uprush of ecstasy, nearly passing out from the intensity of it all. His body strained and arched even more violently than the first time. He clutched at Merlin's heaving chest, squeezing and twisting his nipple, while he shuddered frantically as the sweet, sharp spasms wrenched him apart.

It was too much in all the right ways, and Merlin came with a cry of absolute pleasure. He loved the feeling of Arthur's cock slamming up hard into his body, the sharp pleasure-pain of Arthur's fingers twisting his nipple, and both carried him over the edge for the second time that night. Torrents of white spattered out across Arthur's chest. "Fuck... fuck... Arthur..." Merlin groaned and managed to keep moving until they were both too spent for it to be possible. Legs trembling, Merlin fell to one side of the other man with a sigh. "God, that was... wow."

It took what seemed like hours-when in reality it was only a few minutes-for Arthur to regain his senses. He groaned at the loss of contact with Merlin's body, but trailing his fingers through the steamy evidence of his lover's release more than made up for it. Lavishly licking and sucking his digits clean, the vampire groaned heartily at the rich taste of the sorcerer's essence. Hungry for more, Arthur lunged between Merlin's still quivering thighs and began to swipe his tongue over the other man's twitching length. "Always knew you'd be delicious," he murmured, his eyes shining up at Merlin.

Merlin's only reply was a low, shaky groan. "Stop. You have _got_ to stop. Some of us can still have bloody heart attacks, alright?" The sight of Arthur licking his spent cock combined with the too-good, too-intense feeling of it was enough to drive Merlin thoroughly out of his mind. "May never walk again either. Can't say I mind. Walking's overrated if we can stay in bed and do this instead." He knew that morning was going to be coming too soon, and Merlin reached out for Arthur. "Know it's sappy, but I want to hold you just for a few moments, alright?"

Reluctant to cease exploring Merlin's body now that he finally had the opportunity to indulge himself, Arthur slithered back up the length of the sorcerer's body and tumbled into his embrace. "It's more than alright," the vampire purred. "But you'll have to forgive me if I find I'm unable to help myself when we're together." His lips brushed Merlin's throat, and once again, Arthur was stunned to find that he had no desire to feed from the other man. Of course he would love to drink from him. But the ravenous hunger that he thought he could not control remained at bay. Seeking out Merlin's beautifully swollen lips, he licked his way back inside of that delicious mouth.

Merlin couldn't muster a single protest at the hungry kiss. Spent or not, it still felt absolutely amazing. By the time he had to draw away to breathe again, Merlin's eyes were dark and his fingers tangled in Arthur's hair. "It's been said already tonight, but it bears repeating. I love you." The words were softer now, no longer breathless and rushed. The gravity of the moment did nothing to dampen the mood, and Merlin grinned up at the other man. "Hope you don't get tired of hearing it because you're going to be - and often."

"Oh, Merlin," Arthur sighed contentedly. "How could I ever possibly tire of hearing those words?" He gazed deeply, tenderly into Merlin's enchanting eyes. They fit together perfectly, and always had. It was fairly ridiculous to think of all the time wasted due to the fact of mutual stubbornness. Neither one of them had been brave enough to admit their feelings all those centuries ago. If they had, would things have turned out differently? It was fruitless to ponder. What mattered now was that they were finally together, and Arthur had no intention of ever letting Merlin go again. "I only hope I can maintain this level of control around you," he added soberly. "If I can't, I'd hate to think of harming someone like I did tonight."

"You won't be alone," Merlin answered at once. "You won't have the chance to do anything because I'll be there with you every second if I need to be." What had happened at the bar could have easily meant Arthur's death, and the idea terrified him. To be ripped apart so soon after they'd found one another would be grossly unfair. "Give it a little time. People will get bored and find someone else to whisper about and then it'll be done." Merlin kissed the other man gently. "You won't hurt me, and I won't let you hurt anyone else. It's fine, Arthur."

"Your faith in me means the world," Arthur said softly. "I only hope I can live up to it." The vampire closed his eyes and embraced Merlin even closer, relishing the feel of that lovely warm body pressed against him. Despite his renewed worries, Arthur managed a wicked little half-smile as an intriguing thought occurred to him. "Even if I do start to lose control again, you can always use that spell, right? Binding my arms?" His gaze flickered, and he focused on Merlin to drink in his reaction. "Being at your mercy? I rather fancied that."

"Yeah?" Merlin felt his pulse picking up again and knew that Arthur wouldn't miss the obvious sign of arousal. "Well, might have to every now and again. Wouldn't want you to forget who's boss around here," he teased. The power structure had remained between them in some strange, vestigial sense, but they were equals now in more ways than one. No one on the planet shared the same sort of history they did. "Sometimes I feel like it's not fair, me wanting you here, being glad you're here when it meant you being alone so long. Selfish."

"Nothing about what happened between us is fair," Arthur agreed, his body reacting to Merlin's renewed arousal. "But I don't mind you being selfish. I am, too. It's a trait I've never been able to rid myself of." His smiled was positively scorching as he leaned in closer to the sorcerer. Although the vampire still regretted not being able to drown in Merlin's scent, Arthur nuzzled his lips against Merlin's lovely throat. His fingers, itching with temptation, caressed the length of his lover's torso, wrapping themselves around his highly-sensitive cock. "Do you still think you can put with me?"

"Do you think any man's going to say no while you're jerking him off?" Merlin let out a shaky laugh that ended in a moan. He couldn't ever remember a touch feeling so intense. It didn't even feel good, exactly, and yet it made his breath catch and his overwrought muscles tremble. "Not sure if I should tell you to stop or keep going or... or if I'm even mentally qualified to make that decision right now... actually, don't think I am... What was I saying?"

Arthur gaze a lusty chuckle, withdrawing his touch before he could get carried away. "It's alright, I won't press you anymore tonight." He brushed his lips against Merlin's kiss-bruised mouth. "We've both waited so long for this, and there's no reason to rush through one night." His eyes flickered toward the little clock on the nightstand. "Not much time left, morning soon." Although he hated the thought of leaving the warmth of Merlin's bed, Arthur smiled at a sudden appealing idea. "We'll have to see about having those special windows installed at our new place. That way I won't have to sleep in a closet or a hole in the ground. I can stay with you."

The idea left Merlin grinning again. "Yeah... god, that would be perfect." He loved the idea. Even if Arthur was too deep in his death-like sleep to be reached, just having the man by his side instead of curled up somewhere would be amazing. "I expect you to have that priced out and underway before we move in," he added as imperiously as possible - which, as it turned out, wasn't very. "Gets lonely, y'know. All those hours of sleeping and nobody to hold onto."

"You won't have to be lonely anymore," Arthur assured him, embracing Merlin that much tighter. His lips scored across his lover's cheeks, down his jawline, and once again onto his throat. The vampire licked and kissed without the urge to pierce the spicy-sweet flesh and taste the warm blood rush beneath the surface. "And I truly wish I didn't have to leave you again now." Groaning, Arthur had to literally force himself away from Merlin and out of his bed. He leaned down and brushed their lips together one more time, whispering, "I love you." Then, with a longing glance, he retreated to the closet before the sun could rise.

It was difficult to get to sleep by himself when all Merlin wanted was a few more minutes together. He managed to content himself with burrowing his face into a pillow that still smelled like the other man and breathing deeply. Soon enough being tired did the work that active attempts to lose consciousness had failed to manage, and Merlin drifted off. He woke slowly and dragged himself to the bathroom to clean himself. He felt sticky and rather disgusting after having been far too tired to bother cleaning himself off the night before. Breakfast finally succeeded in waking him fully, and Merlin reluctantly left to start his shift. If he was gone too long, it would only make things more suspicious, so he knew he needed to do it whether he wanted to or not.

At first he felt too bleary to notice much, but soon glaringly white notices tacked to what seemed like every available surface caught the man's attention. His eyes widened and he stood stock still, staring at one of the flyers. /Arthur!/ It was a police sketch, but the approximation of Arthur's face was far too telling to be coincidental. "Fuck... fuck... fuck," Merlin cursed under his breath as he turned and ran full tilt back to his room only to find the closet door ajar and Arthur nowhere in sight. "FUCK!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Author's Notes:** In which Blaine meets up with an old friend, Kurt and Blaine are depressing as hell and Finn is an idiot.

The club was pretty cool, actually. His friends had gone on and on until Jeremiah finally gave in. As it had turned out, losing his job had been a great thing. He'd ditched retail, gone back to school, and things were finally starting to really look up. A year into his undergraduate Library Sciences program, Jeremiah finally felt like the stars had aligned. He scanned the crowd, curious to see what kind of people - apart from his curious college buddies - frequented a place like the Last Drop. He didn't head into Lima often. Westerville was pretty uppercrust, and it offered most of what he could want or need, but it also didn't approve of the "vampire craze," so they were forced to leave their white picket borders to check out the dark side.

He'd finally gotten a beer and was about to hit the dance floor when he spotted a familiar face sitting in a booth toward the back. "Holy shit," he muttered to himself before smirking and shaking his head. Of all the people in all the places... Deciding it couldn't hurt, he sauntered over and leaned against the seat across from the mostly-oblivious other boy. "Blaine Anderson... long time no see."

Thoroughly depressed over not hearing one word from Kurt, Blaine didn't know what to do with himself. He had no way of contacting his lover-and he berated himself for not getting Kurt's cell phone number while he had the chance-and he'd even resorted to gazing longingly at the Hummel home hoping for a glimpse of him. Something had happened, Blaine could sense it. Not knowing was eating him alive, and he kept on hoping for a text, or better yet, for Kurt to walk back into the bar. What he wasn't expecting tonight was running into an acquaintance from his old life. "Jeremiah?" Blaine couldn't believe his eyes.

They'd parted under rather awkward circumstances - getting serenaded by an underage guy, no matter how hot he was, was frowned upon - but Jeremiah didn't detect any particular displeasure at seeing him again. "Hey. You mind if I join you?" /Damn, he looks good./ Blaine had always been a nice-looking kid, but there was something new about him. He didn't look like a kid anymore. At all. Out of the blazer and a year or two older, Blaine actually ranked as one of the hotter guys he'd ever seen. "I'll even buy you a drink. Pretty sure I owe you one."

"No, I don't mind." It was something of a haunting experience meeting someone from his old, mortal life. Blaine had never pegged Jeremiah as the type to visit a vampire bar. "Erm, I'm drinking this," he said, holding up a half-empty bottle of _True Blood_. Not exactly subtle, but it told the story. He was a vampire, one of the undead. Blaine glanced back to his cell phone sitting silent before him on the table. His hopes of ever hearing from Kurt again dwindling. Jeremiah proved to be a much-needed distraction. His curiosity piqued, he wondered aloud, "What brings you here?"

Jeremiah's eyes were still wide, looking from the blood to Blaine as if his mind was fighting to make the proper connection. "Holy crap! You're... wow. That was not what I..." Realizing Blaine had asked him a question, Jeremiah shook his head, blond curls shifting with the movement. "Uh, my friends came before, said it was fun. I was curious, honestly. You hear all this stuff, and... well, usually when you hear stuff, most of it's bullshit," he observed frankly. It seemed like as good a time as any, so he added, "I'm sorry I was such an ass. What you did back then was sweet. And I was an ass. I mean, it was retail, and I fucked up what could've been at least a really good friendship because of it. Stupid. If it helps, I've worked hard to try and become less of an egocentric asshole."

Blaine hadn't been expecting that, and he shook his head slowly. "No, it's okay, really," he assured the other man. "I was way out of my league." He might have blushed if he still had the ability to do so. Having been absolutely besotted with Jeremiah, Blaine had felt like he'd made a complete fool out of himself with his little serenade. Of all nights for him to run into Jeremiah, it had to be the night when he was missing Kurt the most. "You know, this might not be the safest place for you to visit," he advised, changing the subject. "There's been talk of a vampire who showed up here the other night covered in blood."

Jeremiah's eyes widened again. "Shit, seriously?" He looked around as if it would somehow add information to what had been said before realizing that it was a stupid gesture. "Yeah, maybe just... finishing my beer and heading out. Unless you're open to being my bodyguard for a little while?" Given their history, it seemed silly attempting to flirt, but that didn't mean that they couldn't hang out. That's what they'd been doing before, after all, and it had been fun. Apparently a little too much fun given the impression Blaine had gotten. "I mean, I'm not in the closet you're legal... no reason we can't drink, dance, have a little fun - as friends, or, y'know... whatever." Given how well Blaine had grown up over the past couple of years, Jeremiah wasn't willing to assume that he was single. A guy that hot was apt to get snatched up pretty quickly.

Once upon a time Blaine would have jumped at the chance. Now, things were different. He loved Kurt, and although he knew something was wrong, he would never betray him in such a way. Just thinking about his beautiful mortal lover brought on another sharp pang, and then Blaine stiffened and sat up a little straighter. /Kurt!/ His scent hit him with the force of a tidal wave, crashing into him and leaving him reeling.

The noise outside made Kurt's heart stop for a moment, and when he tentatively moved to the window to see what was going on, he caught sight of Finn all but sprinting across the lawn. "Damn it!" Though he knew their parents would kill them both, Kurt wasn't about to let Finn go off on his own. What in the world was he thinking? Kurt hurried outside and started to run after the other boy, keeping up without overtaking him. Though he didn't want Finn hurt, Kurt couldn't help but be curious about what he was doing to begin with, why he would go out_running_ of all things when he'd been half dead earlier.

His focus on finding Damien, Finn was completely unaware of his stepbrother following behind him. His insides twisted with a need the likes of which he'd never known before. It clawed at him, making his throat wound throb in time with his heartbeat. Liquid fire surged through his veins, and only Damien could help him extinguish the blaze. When _The Last Drop_ came into sight, Finn quickly grab his fake ID and hurried inside once the vampire waiting outside the door allowed him entry. There was no sign of Damien, and the jock deflated. /His apartment.../ Pushing his way through the crowd, Finn didn't waste time going back through the entrance. Instead, he disappeared into the rear exit, which, as it turned out, was the fastest route...

It took Kurt a bit longer to get through, though once the bartender filling in for Merlin recognized him in the doorway, he was finally waved in. Kurt looked around and felt his heart sink. Finn wasn't exactly hard to pick out in a crowd. He'd hesitated to even follow, to even come this far when he'd sworn that he wouldn't come back to the bar, but... Finn had protected him. He'd wanted to do the same. Of course it hadn't really worked out that way. Somehow in the darkened space, Kurt had lost his stepbrother, and now he was at the Last Drop just like he'd said he wouldn't be." Kurt bit his lip and was on the verge of turning and leaving to try and track Finn down when his gaze fell on Blaine's usual booth... and saw him smiling and chatting with a lovely blond that curt didn't recognize. His heart sank to his shoes, and Kurt put a hand out to steady himself on the bar.

There he was! "Excuse me," he hurriedly told Jeremiah. Blaine pushed himself up from the booth, and made his way through the crowd to Kurt. As soon as he was within touching distance, the vampire reached out and embraced him, crushing him against his chest. "Kurt, I was so worried!" For a long moment he drowned in his lover's warmth, then Blaine's joy evaporated when he eased back and caught the haunted look in those beautiful eyes. "What's wrong? What's happened?"

Jeremiah watched as Blaine sprinted away but decided it was probably a good idea not to follow when he saw the vampire wrapping himself around someone who had just come in. /Yep, taken,/ he thought with a rueful sigh. He'd had a chance, and he'd missed it, more's the pity.

Across the room, Kurt found himself crying before he could even attempt to stop. Feeling Blaine, seeing him, having those arms wrapped around him again was perfect. It felt so _right_, and that just made it hurt more. "My... my father found out. Last night, someone attacked my stepbrother. He'd tried to follow me, he wanted to protect me and..." Kurt was blinking, trying to talk through the tears and unable to keep himself from holding himself up by clinging to Blaine's shirt. "He could have died... he could have... and... and I promised... I promised I wouldn't... I wouldn't have come, but Finn snuck out, I have no idea where he went and now... and now I'm here and you're here and you're so... I..." Kurt shuddered and tried to get ahold of himself. "I can't see you, Blaine, I can't."

Blaine had known that something wasn't right. Of all the things he might have imagined, nothing compared to the heartbreak of Kurt's declaration. Splashes of red colored his dark eyes as they welled up with the beginnings of tears. Gently taking Kurt by the arm, Blaine led him back outside of the club where they could talk more privately. It was inevitable that his lover's family would discover what he had been up to. And Kurt's stepbrother being attacked? No wonder things had gone so badly. "There's been rumors of a vampire who showed up here drenched in blood," Blaine said quietly. "If they're true, then he might have been the one who hurt your stepbrother." Streaks of crimson stained the vampire's handsome features as he felt the world crumbling around him. "Kurt," he cried, "I don't want to lose you. Please? There has to be something we can do?"

"I don't... I don't know... I..." Kurt was shaking, tears streaking his own face. Seeing Blaine hurt only made it worse. He had no idea what to do or whether anything could be fixed. "My dad... he doesn't want me to see you. He... last year he... he had a heart attack. He..." The tears were turning to sobs, and Kurt wrapped his arms around himself. "I don't know what to do, Blaine. The idea of losing you... it... it... kills me... but I can't hurt my father. He's been there for me, with me... he... and I should be trying to find Finn." Kurt gasped out a bitter laugh. "God, I can't even keep him safe when I follow him."

"Then... maybe you'd better call your dad and try and find him." Blaine wanted to scream, he wanted to beg Kurt to stay with him. Could he himself talk to Kurt's father, make him understand their love for one another? Or was it all hopeless? "Kurt, I," he started again, only to falter. "I wish I could help, but I didn't notice any strangers in the club tonight." Although his gaze was blurred with scarlet tears, Blaine made an effort to glance over his shoulder at the bar's entrance. "If he was here, then he wasn't inside long." He ticked his attention back to Kurt, crushed over having to say good-bye to him. "I love you, Kurt. Even if I can't see you anymore, nothing can change that."

The sweet words wrenched a sob from Kurt, and he threw himself forward, his arms winding around Blaine's neck of their own volition and his lips blindly seeking the vampire's. "Don't forget me," he pleaded. "Please, just... I know it's awful to ask, but please..." There were still tears staining Kurt's face when he pulled back and ran away from the Last Drop. He needed to call his father, but he needed to be far enough away from Blaine to stop wanting to stay right where he was first. The harsh glare of streetlights offered some comfort as Kurt finally slowed to a stop. Though he was still sniffling and crying, Kurt dialed his father's number and curled up on a bench in a park he'd never seen before as he listened to the phone ringing.

When Burt returned home the last thing he expected to find was both the boys gone, especially since Kurt was grounded. His phone rang, and he quickly answered it, "Kurt? Where the hell are you?" Burt's blood ran cold when he discovered what had happened. "Wait right there. Don't move." He was on his way in the next instant, breaking the speed limit to reach his son. When he found Kurt, the older man was slamming the door behind him and rushing to his son. "Are you okay?" Burt searched his eyes, which were red from crying.

Kurt almost said yes just to make his father feel better, but finally he haltingly shook his head. "Not really." He rose on shaky legs, still hugging himself. The tears had dried, but the change had only made Kurt more aware of the pain he was in. The idea of never seeing Blaine again was too much, especially when coupled with the guilt over having lost track of Finn so quickly. "I'm sorry I couldn't... he must have slipped out of the club while I was trying to get in, and... I know I said I wouldn't see him again... I... but he was there, and... I had to tell him. I had to at least..." Kurt felt a shooting pain at speaking the words, at remembering the pain in Blaine's eyes and the tears that had followed.

Burt hated seeing his son in so much pain, but he consoled himself with knowing it was for the best if Kurt never saw the vampire he had fallen for again. "Alright, Kurt, it's alright," he said, embracing him and rubbing Kurt's back in comforting circular motions. "Now, listen to me, and no arguments." Burt drew back and fixed his son with a no-nonsense stare. "The other night I agreed not to get the police involved. But, we need them now. Your brother's missing. God only knows what's happening to him." The older man fished out his cell phone and dialed 911. Once a squad car and a detective arrived, Burt explained the situation, and as there was already unrest in Lima over the vampires' presence, the authorities were more than willing to jump on the case.

"Come on, let's drive around and see if we can find Finn." Burt urged Kurt into the truck, starting it and pulling back onto the street.

Kurt climbed in without saying a word and pressed his forehead against the window. It seemed like it got harder to breathe with each passing moment. Finn was missing. The police were looking for him. The police, who could easily go through the proper channels and find Blaine instead, blame him for something he would never do. "Do you think they'll find Finn?" Kurt asked, knowing he needed to say something. If he didn't say anything at all, his father would start asking him questions anyway, and Kurt couldn't answer them. Not now, not when it felt as if his heart had been ripped out.

"I hope so," Burt replied after a moment of stoic silence. He glanced over at his son, and it hurt him terribly to see Kurt in such a haunted, heartbroken state. "Kurt, I'm not doing any of this to punish you," he tried to explain. "You're... special." Burt glanced away, focusing on the headlights illuminating the road ahead. "Vampires aren't like us. They'll hurt you, no-they'll do more than hurt you. They'll drain you dry and leave nothing left, and that's if you're lucky." He sighed, feeling a heavy weight on his heart. "I'm just worried, Kurt. And I'm scared. If anything ever happened to you... I couldn't stand it."

"I know." Kurt managed a flickering smile for the man before turning to look out the window again. He couldn't quite keep the tears at bay, and trying to smile only made it worse. He knew that his father was trying to protect him, and he could understand why easily, especially after what happened to Finn. He could tell Burt that Blaine would never hurt him until he was blue in the face, but it wouldn't mean anything. "I understand." The problem wasn't the understanding, it was the agreeing. Whoever had hurt Finn was a monster for being so careless and cruel, but Kurt knew that it didn't mean Blaine was the same. "I know it doesn't change anything," Kurt added quietly, "but you should know that he never hurt me."

Burt indicated his son's throat with a scowl. "I'd beg to differ," he pointed out. Kurt really had no idea how much danger he was in. How could he tell him, make him understand? It was a talk that he never thought he would have to face with him. "I can handle just about anything, Kurt-anything, except vampires." Burt slammed his hand against the steering wheel in frustration. "Why did they have to come out? We were all safe when they weren't around."

"Were we?" Kurt asked, tone more wistful than angry. He hadn't felt safe. Every day, all day he felt exposed and vulnerable. He'd felt safer with Blaine than he had for months at school. "There probably wasn't much choice, really. How long does any scandal stay secret these days?" The media looked for dirt, no matter how ludicrous. Vampires would have been forced out of the metaphoric closet if they hadn't stepped forward on their own. "And with True Blood..." Kurt knew that his father didn't agree, and he knew that he'd done nothing to improve the man's opinion of vampires, but he also didn't know how to communicate to his father of all people that he'd been the one who asked Blaine to feed. He'd wanted the intimacy of the act between them. Absently Kurt reached up and ran his fingers over the healing wound, almost wishing it wasn't so clean and well-tended. At least if he had a scar, there would be something there, something to help him remember it all...

"Yeah, well, if they would just stick with their own kind, then we wouldn't have a problem." Burt gripped the steering wheel, going around the block the Last Drop was situated on and glaring at the vampire club with disgust. The streets were dark and there was no sign of Finn. Burt felt the weight on his heart growing heavier. How was he supposed to tell Carol her son was missing? He started to sweat despite the coolness of the cab, and he noticed his pulse was racing wildly. "I'll get you home where you'll be safe." He paled, his vision blurring.

Noting that his father's voice sounded more strained than he would have expected, Kurt looked over to see sweat standing out on Burt's brow and an unusual lack of color in his cheeks. "Pull over," Kurt ordered firmly. "Dad, please, pull over." The second they were on the side of the road and safely in park, Kurt reached for his father's hand and quickly took his pulse. "We need to get you to the hospital. Do you want to ride in the passenger seat, or would you rather lie down in back?" Kurt asked. He was trying hard to sound calm and authoritative despite his hands shaking and fear pulsing through his veins.

"I... think I'd better lay down," Burt replied shakily. It had all been too much for him. As badly as he wanted to continue the search for Finn, Burt knew he was in no shape to help his stepson let alone himself. "Don't worry, I'll be okay." He wasn't sure if it was for Kurt's benefit or if he was trying to convince himself. Burt slowed his breathing, trying to calm down as Kurt took the driver's seat and headed toward the hospital.

By the time they were on their way home, it was Kurt who was gripping the wheel, knuckles white and jaw set. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so tense about so many things all at once, but he felt sick to his stomach. The doctors had done a small battery of tests and finally determined that it was a slight arrhythmia from the stress. That did little to make Kurt feel better about everything, but he tried to keep a brave face on for his father's sake. It was getting closer to dawn, and Kurt fervently hoped that one way or another, Finn would be making his way home soon. "We need to get you in and get you to bed," he said firmly as he helped his father out of the car.

Carol met them at the door, a look of anguish on her face. Burt had been dreading this moment, and he leaned a little heavier on his son without meaning to. He explained as calmly as he could what had happened to his wife. Carol was in tears, but took charge immediately. She helped Burt upstairs to their room and put him to bed. While they were gone, a police detective arrived and knocked on the open front door. "Excuse me, son?" he said to Kurt, recognizing him. "Can I have a word with you?"

Kurt paled, but he stepped aside to let the man in anyway. He remembered the officer from earlier, and though the last thing he wanted to do was speak to him, there wasn't much choice. He _did_want to help Finn, and he definitely wanted to make sure that his father rested instead of worrying about it. "Of course. Anything that I can do to help." Kurt sat down on the couch and tried not to let the fact that he was frayed to his last nerve show.

"We still haven't been able to locate your brother," the detective explained. He tried to soften the blow, taking out a piece of paper and showing it to Kurt. "We made inquiries at the Last Drop, and we were told about a vampire who might be the one who attacked Mr. Hudson." The police sketch depicted a man with shaggy hair, wild eyes and apparently drenched in blood. "Have you seen him? Do you know who he is?"

Instead of horror at the rather disturbing look of the man in the picture, Kurt felt the giddy urge to laugh. He had no idea who the man was. None at all. He felt a surge of relief. They weren't looking for Blaine, and that was at least one small thing to check off the list of painful fears and worries weighing on his heart. "No," Kurt answered, keeping his expression careful and concerned, "no, I'm sorry... I've never seen him before."

The detective watched Kurt's reaction carefully, searching for the slightest hint of a lie. Finding none, he pressed the sketch into the teenager's hand. "Keep it, just in case," he said, noticing the fang marks on Kurt's throat. "With this vampire running around, you might want to steer clear of the Last Drop." Although he wasn't as anti-vampire as a lot of his colleagues, the detective was, however, growing increasingly worried about the safety of the citizens of Lima. "We'll be in contact if we have any news about your brother."

The warning made Kurt wince, but he nodded anyway. "Of course, officer," he murmured. That was the last thing he wanted, but it was precisely what he needed to do. He'd made his father a promise, and it was a promise he intended to keep. "I'll be careful." Kurt shoved the bitter sadness away and focused himself on Finn, who could have been anywhere with anyone. Would a glamour be strong enough to take Finn away from them if he didn't want the person to begin with? "If there is... if there is anything that can help, tell me. I want Finn back safely."

"If we can discover the identity of this vampire, then that would go a long way to helping," the detective replied. He started to leave, only to turn back and confide in Kurt. "We had a report that a young lady had been attacked by the perp who fits our description." The cop was quick to allay the teenager's fears, "She's not dead. But, this animal nearly drained her completely." He let a hand rest on Kurt's shoulder, seeing something of his own boy in him. "Again, be careful." He took his leave, returning to his car to continue the search for Finn Hudson.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Author's Notes:** In which Blaine makes a stupid decision.

Devastated, completely torn apart, Blaine returned to the club as if on auto-pilot. He was completely unaware of the bar patrons' strange glances as he wandered, zombie-like, back to his regular booth. Blood stained his face and pooled beneath his eyes from crying; he was a macabre sight to behold. Several tormented moments passed before he realized Jeremiah was still there. "I'm sorry," he apologized, brushing at the streaks of blood.

The sight of the bloody tears was somewhat startling, but even more striking was how down Blaine looked. "Hey, it's... I'm fine. I was just finishing my beer." He swallowed and reached out, grabbing one of Blaine's hands in an attempt to offer some strength. He hated seeing the other man so stricken. "What happened, man? Was it... did that guy do something? The one that came in?"

"We broke up," Blaine explained, choking on a deep-throated sob. "We've been seeing each other, and Kurt's father found out about us. He had to promise not to see me." Just saying the words pained him so much that it made the vampire long for the true death. Knowing he could never see Kurt again, coupled with the hurt in his lover's eyes, it was too much for Blaine to bear. "I... I shouldn't have come back here. I don't know why I did. I should go..." He started to stand on quaking legs, another bout of crimson tears spilling from his eyes.

"No, hey, don't," Jeremiah bid, reaching out to catch one pale wrist in his hand. "Seriously, you shouldn't be alone right now." He wasn't going to pretend that it wasn't at least partly selfish wanting to see Blaine, to talk to him, but he really didn't like the way the vampire looked. He'd obviously been pretty into the stranger, whoever he was, and he was hurting. "I'll buy you a drink or a True Blood or whatever and we can talk or dance or... just... don't deal with this solo. That never ends well."

Blaine didn't want to do anything, but Jeremiah had a point. "Not exactly a nice night for a reunion," he murmured, reaching out to absently grip the half-empty bottle of True Blood. "I... knew something was wrong, I could feel it. I just didn't realize how bad things were." Continuing to receive stares from mortal bar patrons, Blaine turned to his companion with another defeated shrug of his shoulders. "Want to go someplace else? I should really go home and clean myself up." There was no hidden agenda, it was an innocent invitation, especially since Jeremiah had offered to keep him company in his time of need.

"Sounds good," Jeremiah answered honestly. Blaine obviously wasn't making any kind of a move, and he wasn't going to push. The guy was in bad shape, and given that he'd done his own dose of damage to the vampire's heart in the past, it only seemed right that he offer a helping hand. They'd been well on their way to being friends once upon a time, and he hoped that they could be again. He scooted out of the booth and left the mostly-empty bottle there. "Lead the way." Though he didn't want to dwell on the negative, Blaine bottling everything up wouldn't make him feel better either. "So you guys were pretty serious, huh?"

"Yes," Blaine replied somberly. He led the way out of the club and back into the night. Seeing the spot where he and Kurt had broken up only minutes ago hit the vampire in the chest with a palpable ache. He glanced away, hurrying onto the street and making toward his apartment. "Please, can we talk about something else?" Blaine asked, hugging himself. If he kept thinking about Kurt, then he was certain he would go out of his mind with grief. "What about you? Have you been seeing anyone?" It was a silly question. Blaine needed something silly.

"A couple times, yeah, but... nothing serious." Jeremiah considered his options and finally decided that a little monologue wouldn't be so bad. He did still owe Blaine an apology, and making that sincere came with an explanation too. "I've been working on me most of the time. Always kind of been selfish, just worried about my part of the equation. So it's been hard. I've been getting used to the idea of putting what somebody else needs before what I need, remembering I'm not the only person out there in the universe. There are big things in the world, bigger things than just me or anybody, and... And besides that, I was kind of an ass." He threw Blaine a rueful smile. "Dating a high school guy wouldn't've been the right thing, but I still could've said thank you, and we still could have been friends. But, like I said... ass. I'm sorry."

Blaine appreciated Jeremiah's honesty as well as his apology. "Thanks, but really... it's okay. I mean it." He could only imagine what he must have looked like chasing after the older boy as if he were a lovesick puppy dog. "If my track record's anything to go by, then it was probably for the best." Another crushing shadow of sadness cast itself across the vampire's face. "It seems I'm not very good when it comes to relationships." As they reached his apartment, Blaine invited Jeremiah inside and immediately grabbed a washcloth. He wiped at his face, cleaning off the blood as best he could. "There. Is that any better?"

"Almost," Jeremiah agreed, grabbing the cloth and wiping away the last trace of the tears from Blaine's face. "Now you could go back to being on the cover of GQ. Not to sound creepy or inappropriate or whatever, but you've gotten hotter." He smiled and tossed the cloth into the sink. Recalling something that Blaine had mentioned during one of their coffee talks before things got a little too intense, Jeremiah suggested, "You still a movie buff? Maybe we can throw something in. Escapism's a totally valid way of dealing with a sucky break-up. Extra points if there's alcohol involved, but therapy's different for everybody."

If Blaine were totally honest with himself and Jeremiah, then he would have  
>confessed that all he felt like doing was climbing to the roof, curling up in a<br>ball, and letting the sun burn him to ashes. He had known loss before, but never  
>anything like the pain of being torn apart from Kurt. How could he go on without<br>him? Blaine briefly considered leaving Lima, wondering if Damien would allow  
>him. Jeremiah's talk of movies snapped him out of his daze. "What? Oh, sorry."<br>He nodded toward a cabinet on the other side of the room. "Yeah, I've got a ton  
>of DVDs in there. Pick anything you like."<p>

Deciding that light was best, Jeremiah popped in Aladdin and patted the couch  
>next to himself once he settled in. "C'mon. You need to get away from your own<br>head." He could practically see the wheels turning in Blaine's head. The guy had  
>done a number on him. Whoever the stranger was, they'd been a lot more than<br>casual. Maybe it wasn't his place, but Jeremiah found that he couldn't stomach  
>the idea of Blaine doing something drastic if he was left alone.<p>

Jeremiah was right, even if Blaine found it near-impossible to stop thinking about Kurt. The look of anguish in his mortal lover's eyes had been like a proverbial stake to his unbeating heart. He couldn't take it, knowing he would never see him again. The pain was crippling. As he shifted on the sofa, Blaine found himself more aware of Jeremiah's presence. His warmth, his scent, the rushing of his blood. Emotionally torn, his vampire instincts took over, and before he realized what was happening, he was sliding into the other man's lap, straddling his hips. "You're right; I need to forget." Blaine lunged forward, kissing him through more crimson tears.

Jeremiah was fairly sure that he should tell Blaine to stop. On the other hand, what were the chances that they'd see one another again? Blaine needed someone to be with him, so why not show him some support? Why not be the thing that kept him from falling apart for a few more minutes? It wasn't really selfless, and Jeremiah knew it. He wanted Blaine, wanted the strong, hard body draped over his own. The blond reached up and clapped his hands onto Blaine's hips, squeezing tightly and then grinding up into him as his lips parted. Jeremiah couldn't resist letting his tongue dart out to trace the seam of Blaine's lips. He wanted to taste, touch, to feel everything he could. It was strange how hot someone with such cold skin managed to make him.

The unrelenting pain of having lost Kurt fueled Blaine's actions. If Jeremiah had rejected him again, then the vampire would have surely been lost. Instead of pushing him away, the mortal was warm and accepting, and it was exactly what Blaine needed. He groaned softly when he tasted Jeremiah's tongue. It wasn't Kurt, but it his sweetness was delicious. Blaine's fingers carded the blond's hair, surging forward in Jeremiah's lap and relishing the strong grasp on his hips. He deepened the kiss, shocked at the arousal he felt for the other man. In another life, he would have rejoiced over being in Jeremiah's arms. Now, he wanted only one thing: for the hurt to go away.

Jeremiah groaned into the man's mouth and responded, his tongue darting out to trace over Blaine's. The vampire tasted delicious despite the coppery tang of True Blood lingering there. Gently he lifted his hips, rolling them up to meet Blaine's, testing the waters of moving things ahead. He wanted Blaine badly, and the feeling was obviously mutual to some degree. He just had no idea what kind of comfort Blaine really wanted or how far he was willing to take it. /Enjoy it while you've got it. That guy can't actually be crazy enough not to come back for more of this./

Blaine surrendered himself completely. Usually he was the dominant one, the predator taking what he desire. Tonight he needed to be taken. He whimpered helplessly as he felt the heat of Jeremiah's substantial hardness pressing against him. His fingers were thoroughly tangled in the mortal's hair now, carding the silken strands with a gentle desperation. Without even realizing it, Blaine was churning his hips and grinding against him. They were both still fully clothed, and yet the intimacy was shockingly wonderful. It would never be the same as it was with Kurt, but Blaine couldn't dwell on that, otherwise he might go insane with grief.

"Since tonight's about making you feel good," Jeremiah purred into the vampire's ear, "so how do you want it? You want me to fuck you, or do you want to be inside me?" It sounded hot either way. Hell, he'd settle for a blow job, but something told him that wasn't going to be enough to take off the edge of hurt that Blaine was fighting through. "I don't care so long as I get you for the night." He couldn't believe he'd ever said no, jailbait or not. It was a damn shame, but Blaine was more than worth the wait.

"Fuck me." Blaine knew exactly what he'd needed the moment he'd taken the reckless decision to kiss Jeremiah. He didn't think he'd ever be able to make love to another man, not after Kurt. Being taken was different, and it was something he'd wanted from Jeremiah ever since the first time he'd laid eyes on him. "I want you to fuck me." There was no doubt in the vampire's mind. He surged forward, grinding himself down on the mortal's substantial hardness. Although Blaine remained desperately grief-stricken over losing Kurt, he found comfort in Jeremiah's arms, the heat of his body, and the scent of his desire.

"Gladly," Jeremiah agreed. Reluctantly, he admitted, "We should probably head to the bedroom, get some lube... I want this to be so fucking good for you that you can't think about anything but that long." That was the whole point of the night, for Blaine to forget. For Blaine to lose himself totally and completely. "I want to be inside you so bad... so fucking bad," he growled against the vampire's ear as the shorter man moved against him almost frantically.

Blaine _almost_protested against the bedroom where their eventual rendezvous would take place. The memory of the time he and Kurt had spent together would remain forever special to him. Could he really tarnish that by having another man claim him in that same bed? Thinking of Kurt and the fact that they could never see each other again changed Blaine's mind. "Please?" he all but whimpered. Decided, Blaine shifted away from Jeremiah's lap and reached for the mortal's hand. He effortlessly lifted him away from the sofa, crushing the blond against his body and kissing him with a raw sense of desperation. As he lead Jeremiah toward the other room, Blaine tore at his clothing until his chest was bare and cool hands tugged and caressed warm flesh.

Jeremiah easily found the lube on the nightstand and carefully kept himself from thinking about what it had been used for - and who it had been used on - recently. That didn't matter. /Not like we're together. This is just something he needs for now./ Jeremiah didn't let that slow him for a moment as he kissed Blaine like his life depended on it. The vampire's body was damn near perfect and, feeding off of Blaine's obvious desperation, Jeremiah blindly spread him open and teased the man's ass with a single finger before letting it drive in. He knew that Blaine wasn't in the mood for sweet and sensual. It probably hit too close to whatever he'd shared with Kurt. Blaine needed someone willing to take and give until they were spent, and he knew he could be that person. "God, you're tight," he murmured breathlessly against the vampire's lips.

Blaine moaned deep and low in his throat. Jeremiah's forcefulness and the intensity of the mortal's wriggling digit were shockingly good. His dark eyes widened as he breathed in the intoxicating scent of the other man's desire. "It's been a while," the vampire confessed. In fact, the last time he'd allowed himself to be taken was with Damien... His eyes fluttering closed, Blaine pressed himself back against Jeremiah's finger with a grunt of need. At the same time, he reached down between them and closed his hand around that overheated cock pressing insistently against him. Jeremiah was _huge_, exceeding Blaine's expectations and reigniting the fantasies he would lose himself in over the older man. He stroked him from base to tip and back again, marveling at the size of him. "You can have me," Blaine whispered, his lips roaming over Jeremiah's throat. "You can have anything you want..."

Jeremiah let out a soft sound of assent and gently added a second finger. He could feel the vampire giving in and relaxing into the touch. Soon enough Blaine was bucking back onto the fingers and he added a third. They weren't going to last, neither of them, but that was fine. They didn't have to last. Whatever they shared was likely to be an explosion instead of a slow burn, and he'd accepted that the second they crossed the line from hanging out to making out. "Why don't you get me ready," he suggested, nodding toward the lube still laying beside them.

Something akin to a whimper forced itself from Blaine's throat as he nodded and reached for the bottle. Almost drowning in an oblivion of pleasure, the vampire's hand shook as he managed to pour a generous portion of the viscous fluid onto his fingers. He groaned as he was barely able to close his hand around Jeremiah's immense girth, which jerked against his palm with feverish lust. Honey flowed from the flaring tip of the mortal's cock, adding to the slick slide, while the scent of Jeremiah's desire threatened to overwhelm Blaine's senses. His fangs appeared unbidden as he sought out that delicious, panting mouth again. "Fuck me," he begged between kisses. "Fuck me, Jeremiah..."

And how could anyone say no to a request like that? Jeremiah kissed the vampire hungrily, barely aware of the danger he was in from the fangs. He was too distracted by the sheer need and want of the situation to notice. Instead Jeremiah withdrew his fingers and lined his cock up. The initial push was slow and steady. Blaine really _was_ tight, and it was blissfully sweet to feel the first squeeze of the vampire's body as the head of his cock pushed inside. It just got better. With every stroke, Jeremiah found himself engulfed in the strangely cool grip of the other man's ass, and odd as it was, it was pure bliss.

Blaine cried out, his groan a mixture of pleasure and relief. Being taken by Jeremiah was exactly what he'd needed to dull the emotional pain of losing Kurt. And still it wasn't enough. Reaching around the mortal's back, the vampire filled his hands with Jeremiah's incredible ass, sinking his fingers into the firm mounds, and dragging him in even closer. The burning stretch of Jeremiah's gorgeous cock filling him completely left him aching for more. "Yes," he pleaded, "fuck me... fuck me, please..." Another kiss, deep and passionate as Blaine's hips rose to meet the other man's thrusts. Jeremiah's rich scent, coupled with the aroma of his boiling blood, tempted Blaine's hunger. He gasped against that sweet, panting mouth before drawing his fangs toward Jeremiah's throat...

At Blaine's urging, Jeremiah began to thrust harder. It was hard to keep any kind of control with Blaine's hips snapping up against his and the man's helpless moans in his ears. He couldn't remember the last time anyone had gotten him so worked up. "Oh, fuck, you're so good..." Better than he could ever have imagined when they'd first met. The slight loss of control and brush with his baser nature involved in becoming a vampire had done nothing but good things for the sexy brunette. Utterly oblivious to Blaine's struggle with control, Jeremiah continued to move, caught up in the helpless, heady pleasure of the act.

Another violent tremor of pleasure quaked through Blaine as Jeremiah pumped harder, deeper into his aching body. "Ohhnnn... oh yes... ohhnnn... yes, Jeremiah," he moaned, his body shivering as the mortal's cock caressed him and explored every fold and crevice of his ass. His lips reached Jeremiah's throat, and his tongue flicked out to trace a pulsing vein he found there. The thump-thump-thump of Jeremiah's heart filled Blaine's ears as his fangs closed in, and the vampire let out what could only be described as a pained whimper. "I want... I want to drink you... please? Please... can I...?" It had to be Jeremiah's choice.

For a second, Jeremiah was oblivious to what the other man meant, but it caught up to him quickly enough. Blaine wanted to bite him. The thought was thrilling and scary, and he murmured, "Yeah, do it," before he could think better of it. In for a penny, in for a pound. He wanted to experience the whole shebang. If the night was just going to be a pleasant memory, he wanted to make sure it was one hell of a memory. "Do it, Blaine." Jeremiah never stopped moving, never stopped moving inside of the beautiful vampire as he waited for what was to come, wondering whether it would hurt.

Jeremiah's heated acceptance sent a thrill racing through Blaine, despite his despair over losing Kurt. His vampiric instincts demanded not only pleasure, but also blood. Never vicious when feeding, Blaine kissed Jeremiah's throat until the scent of the mortal's desire reached a fever pitch. Only then did he give into his hunger, sinking his fangs into that lovely throat with the greatest care. Ambrosia flowed into his mouth, warming him with life essence. Jeremiah tasted incredible, and Blaine clutched at the other man's rutting body while blood spilled over his lips as he drank ravenously. His body tensed and shuddered, rising to meet Jeremiah's punishing thrusts with relish.

Having expected pain, Jeremiah was shocked to find that the sharp pressure was followed instead by a euphoric bliss. He cried out in pleasure and thrust deep into Blaine on the next instroke. "Close," he gasped, already losing the steady rhythm in favor of something sharper and more desperate. Jeremiah couldn't stop himself from giving everything he had, fucking himself into the vampire's willing body roughly. But it wasn't as if Blaine seemed to mind. They both needed oblivion, longed for it - they just wanted it for different reasons.

Blaine's groans of pleasure were muffled against Jeremiah's throat. Warm, rich blood continued to stream down his throat, and the vampire fed hungrily as his body responded to the mortal's intense lust. Jeremiah proved to be an exceptional lover, thrusting into him with enough force to nearly shake the castors off the bed. His cock was enormous, splitting Blaine wide open and filling him in ways only Damien had ever achieved. Blaine clenched around him maddeningly, one arm embracing the flushed and sweating blond, while the other reached down and he cupped his thrusting ass. Although he loathed the idea of their coupling ending, he ached to feel Jeremiah exploding deep inside of him, scorching his insides with ecstasy.

Blaine got precisely what he wanted only a few moments later. Jeremiah came with a groan muffled by his biting his own lower lip. "Cum with me," he panted as the tremors began and his hand found Blaine's cock between them and began to pump raggedly. He needed to know that it felt as good for Blaine as it did for him. Even if things didn't go beyond skin deep, that didn't make the way it felt when they came together any less amazing.

Gasping wetly against Jeremiah's throat, Blaine exploded almost immediately in a shattering orgasm. He clutched desperately at the other man, fingers sinking into soft flesh with bruising force. He moaned and twisted, with Jeremiah's massive cock spearing his ass, coming violently over and over again. In that blissful moment the sadness evaporated, and Blaine lost himself in ecstasy. He licked at the mortal's neck until the wounds carrying the delicious blood he'd been feasting upon closed. His body flared around Jeremiah, grasping that incredible cock in a desperate attempt to wring every last drop of cum from him.

Jeremiah felt as if his whole being had been drained away, and he didn't really mind a bit. In the aftermath, he let out a heavy sigh and wrapped his arms around Blaine's body. "God, Blaine, that was... that was awesome. Seriously. Awesome." He'd had some pretty talented lovers, but none of them touched what he'd felt with Blaine as the vampire drank from him and he pumped his warm seed into the man's body. "Suddenly starting to get the whole thing where people hang out at the bar all the time."

"Thank you... for this, I... needed it... _you_... desperately." Blaine clung to Jeremiah as if the mortal were a life preserver and he was a drowning man at sea. His tongue flicked over the wounded marring Jeremiah's throat, tasting the last vestiges of blood that had yet to dry. The solace was fading as the grief returned. Blaine tried to distract himself further with the man embracing him. "You should be careful, Jeremiah," he warned softly. "Being with a vampire can become addicting. And you do taste... wonderful."

"Don't worry," Jeremiah answered with a light laugh, "I'm not much for sleeping around. Believe me, I wouldn't've said no when you were in high school if I was." He'd always tended to stick to people that he _should_ be with, and even if Blaine probably still didn't fall under that umbrella, he was glad to have made the deviation. "Guess I should probably get outta here, let you get some rest." Reluctantly Jeremiah shifted to lie next to the other man instead. "You gonna be okay tonight? I know that the odds are I won't see you again, and that's fine, but... I want to know you're not going to do anything stupid. You're worth more than that. No matter how great this guy was, you deserve somebody better. Got it?"

No one was better than Kurt, but Blaine kept that to himself. Jeremiah didn't know him or the circumstances revolving around their break-up. However, he appreciated the mortal's sentiment as well as his company more than he could ever properly express. "Jeremiah, I'm not looking to be involved with anyone else," he said softly. "My heart belongs to Kurt even if I can't see him again." Speaking the words brought the sadness crashing back into him. "Having said that... I would like to see you again. Not all vampires are like me, some of them would hurt you. And I don't want that to happen." Blaine managed a half-smile as he reached out to caress the other man's cheek. "If you're okay with us just being like this?"

"If it means we do this again? Definitely." The young man grinned and stole a quick kiss. He knew there wouldn't be any lingering romance between them, but that was fine. With his studying and work, he didn't have much time for romance anyway. This was direct and easy, and it helped them both. No downside as far as he could see. "But I really do need to get going for now." He snatched Blaine's phone up from the nightstand and tapped his number in quickly. "Just in case. I'll come by the club again, but... y'know... call. If you just want to talk, call, okay?" There was enough to do before class on Monday that Jeremiah knew he'd regret it if he didn't get some sleep before dawn, so he took a few moments to pull himself together, vowing to shower once he was home and had the drive to bother.

"I mean it about calling if you need somebody to talk to. You won't be bugging me or anything. Call." After a second to make sure that Blaine really did believe him, Jeremiah offered a blinding grin and headed outside into the crisp night air. It felt good against his warm cheeks. The night had been a hell of a lot more interesting than he'd anticipated. The guys were going to flip when he filled them in.

Blaine thanked Jeremiah softly again, and watched the other man depart with a sense of forlorn distress. He didn't want to be alone, because loneliness brought back the immense sadness he felt over losing Kurt. Closing his eyes against the crushing pain, Blaine reached for a remote control on the nightstand and pressed a button. Special shades crafted especially for vampires descended and filled the room with darkness. Soon the sun would rise, and in those hours of slumber, he could at least find oblivion again...

*****

Outside, Mordred watched from the shadows as the comely mortal left the other vampire's apartment. He had spotted the pair leaving the club earlier in the night, latching onto the idea of finding a suitable victim who met his needs. Already hysteria was beginning to rise in the small town. But to ignite the fuse on the powder keg waiting to erupt, there needed to be a death. It was a pity, really. After all, this particular mortal had some definite potential. "Heading home?" Mordred asked, stepping out of the darkness and into Jeremiah's path.

Jeremiah came up short at the unexpected address and found himself even more taken aback by how strikingly gorgeous the man speaking to him was. "Uh, yeah. Long night." Strange night. Good night. But none of those things really mattered to someone he'd never seen before in his life. "Just... visiting a friend." Jeremiah wasn't sure why he'd even bothered to tack on that little tidbit of information when he probably should have been heeding the warning sirens sounding in his head.

Mordred tilted his head as if considering the mortal's statement. Then, a knowing smile lit up his handsome features. "Must be a _very_ good friend, and a lucky one at that," he remarked, taking in the unmistakable aroma of sex. Noting the fresh fang marks blemishing the other man's lovely throat, Mordred took a step closer. "Tell me, would you mind walking me home? It's not far, and I would feel a lot safer in your company." Reaching out, he brushed elegant fingers over one of Jeremiah's arms, and clarified, "Have you not heard of the recent attacks in the area?"

"Oh... uh, no. I don't get out here very often," Jeremiah confessed, finding himself unable to blow the guy off. "Things seemed pretty quiet." Hell, he was hot and he seemed nice and it wasn't like the thing with Blaine was serious. That had been made clear enough. Just because they might get together and screw again certainly didn't constitute a commitment. So why not enjoy a little time with the gorgeous guy at his side? Conscience settled, Jeremiah offered, "No problem keeping you company, though. I'm Jeremiah."

"Jeremiah," Mordred echoed, his smile warm and seductive. "Pretty name." In an instant, his features turned cold and cruel as he bared his fangs and lunged for the mortal's throat. Growling wildly, Mordred tore into the fresh wounds as he slammed Jeremiah against the nearest wall. His punishing grasp left the other man without a hope of struggling against him as he gulped down the river of delicious blood which overflowed into his mouth. Although loathing the idea of wasting a drop of the precious elixir, Mordred allowed an overabundance of the crimson tide to spill. The scene had to be as brutal as possible. Hysteria in the small town was growing, and this act would bring it to the boiling point. Gasping against Jeremiah's throat, Mordred let the drained and lifeless body fall to the ground for the mortals to find.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Author's Notes:** In which strange things are afoot with Gill, Finn drops by for a visit and Blaine makes yet another stupid decision.

It was dark, close. Gill tried to breathe and found his mouth filled with dirt. Coughing, terrified, and desperate, he clawed at the loose dirt like a madman until he finally found a shred of something brighter. Finally he surfaced, gasping, chest heaving as he dragged himself free of the earth. Gill breathed for a movement, focusing on absolutely nothing but just drawing air into his lungs at last. The last thing he remembered was searing pain, a dizziness that left him barely able to keep his eyes open, and the certainty that- "Oh," he whispered before blinking and looking around. It was almost funny. Almost.

Gill was surrounded by tombstones and sitting on a pile of loose dirt, dirt he had just thrown aside. The hole he'd come out of himself was nothing special. No marker separated it from any of the other open spots nearby. Just a hole in the ground. Reality set in, and Gill stared down at his dirt-covered clothing. He sucked in an experimental breath, but that seemed normal enough. He pressed fingers to his neck and felt the beat of his heart, slightly erratic with his uncertainty and the near-panic welling up inside but otherwise normal. Tentatively Gill examined the skin on his throat by touch and found it smooth, unmarked save for scars and a healing wound that were expected. Nothing fresh. No gaping wounds, no blood.

"Doesn't make sense," he muttered, uncertainly standing and finding that his limbs obeyed without any protest save for some slight cramping. He didn't understand what could have happened or why he was walking instead of rotting. If he was a vampire, he wouldn't be breathing. The same, he was fairly certain, was true of zombies. /So why the hell am I on my feet instead of being underground?/ Dazed, confused, and wishing he wasn't alone, Gill started walking without having any clear idea of where he was going.

Mike was a ray of sunshine. It was eternally, almost unwavering true. The young vampire never seemed to be anything but warm and happy. It was one of the things that Damien had found so absolutely and utterly irresistible about him. But when Damien made his way out of the club and headed back toward home, he saw Mike walking down the street, dirt beneath his nails, shirt smeared with blood, and knew that something was more than a little wrong. He hurried forward and took hold of his childe's arms to force Mike to look at him. Their bond wasn't even necessary to read the sadness that rolled off of the asian vampire in waves. "What happened? What's wrong?"

Mike's face was stained with bloody tears, and he couldn't bring himself to meet Damien's gaze. He trembled, not even sure he could tell his sire what had happened or why he felt such an overwhelming sense of loss. "Last night, I met a mortal," he started, his bottom lip quivering. "He was sweet and pretty and... he needed me so much. I like him a lot." Mike finally lifted his eyes, finding Damien blurred before him thanks to the emotion pouring out of him. "Someone killed him... drained him dry... I... I asked him to be careful, but... it wasn't enough." He shook his head, adding sadly, "I couldn't save him."

No jealousy could overcome how it broke Damien's heart to see Mike upset, and he gathered the younger vampire close without a second's hesitation. "I'm so sorry..." He gently kissed Mike's hair and ignored the scent of blood and dirt clinging to his childe. "We'll find out who did this." Beyond his concern for Mike, Damien didn't appreciate anyone being so stupid as to put all of the Lima vampires in danger. The police wouldn't tolerate anyone being killed and discarded in such a way. Even if the body had been hidden, someone so out of control, so stupid... that was a danger. "Tell me what you need and it's yours."

Mike was torn with indecision. He did not want to return home because his apartment was filled with the mortal's scent and would only bring him memories of Gill. Blinking bloody tears from his eyes, he turned his haunted features to Damien again. "Your place? Can we go there? I... really don't won't to be alone right now." Mike had known from the start and accepted that Blaine was Damien's favorite. However, it was clear that Damien cared for him, and right now what he needed most was the comfort his sire offered. /Gill.../ He would never forget that lovely face or those enchanting eyes.

"Of course. Come on." Damien slid his arm around Mike's waist and began leading him away. His childe was in no shape to be alone or trusted to lead the charge. It seemed that both of his offspring had been entranced by mortals of late, but where Blaine seemed to have found a buoyant, happy sort of connection, Mike was suffering the truth of being with a mortal lover you could never truly protect. Perhaps the reality of the situation would bring the truth home to Blaine. Mike said not a word as they moved through the night. He looked utterly broken, numb to the world. "We're almost there."

A few blocks away, Gill was slowly beginning to realize where he was. He recognized the neighborhood. Mike's building. He was close to Mike's building. The thought made his heart jump. Somehow he thought that if he could just get there, everything might somehow make sense. The mortal shuffled along faster, praying that he wasn't so lost after the strange night that he was making up the route in his head.

Mike paused, forcing Damien to stop. "Wait..." There was something in the air, a familiar scent not too far away... /Gill.../ A faint glimmering of hope, which vanished just a quickly as it sparked. /It can't be. You're just imagining things. He's gone./ Another wave of sadness enveloped Mike and he urged Damien, "Let's hurry, please?" He wanted to get off the street, out of the night and try and forget the misery that had settled on his heart.

"Yeah, sure, baby. Whatever you need," Damien agreed, leading Mike along toward the building. He didn't know what had spooked his childe, but it had left him looking even more morose. Gently he kissed that smooth, dark hair again and pulled Mike tighter against his side, holding the door open for the other man when they arrived at the building.

There he was! Gill opened his mouth to call out just in time to see the stranger kissing Mike. The gesture was fond, familiar. They were together, had been for a long while from the look of things. He felt like an absolute idiot. He had thought that Mike really liked him. He'd gotten himself killed over someone who already had a guy. The idea brought up a burst of hysterical laughter that ended in a rough sob as Gill turned and began walking again with no idea where he was really headed.

Mike was so relieved to be off the streets and inside Damien's apartment that some of the tension coiled between his shoulders melted away. He remained deeply troubled over Gill's death, the sadness he felt rolling off him in palpable waves. He shuddered and wiped at the dried blood caked under his eyes. "Is this why you told us not to get involved with mortals?" he asked his sire. "Because they're too fragile?"

"Yes," Damien answered gently. He sighed and guided his childe toward the bathroom. "We need to clean you up. The authorities would be less than understanding finding all this." They had to be careful. There were rules to be followed if they were going to be out and proud. "Mortals are useful, and they can be excellent friends, but romance is... dangerous. And the sort of mortals who frequent clubs... You notice that you and your brother came from more congenial circumstances? It's not coincidence." As he spoke, Damien stripped away the soiled fabric carefully and turned the water on to warm in the shower. "The ones at the bars all seek death to some degree. If they look hard enough, they'll find it. I'm just sorry that he hurt you this way."

"He didn't hurt me," Mike insisted. "His death did." It was painful to talk about it, to be reminded about losing Gill. It wasn't fair, and it wasn't right. A part of him, maybe foolishly, had thought he might be able to fulfill the need Gill was seeking. Another wave of sadness washed over Mike as he stepped into the shower and under the steamy spray of water. It did little to warm him or ease the grief. Mike shuddered, gathering his arms around himself as a fresh bout of tears stained his face with blood.

Damien shed his own clothing and stepped into the shower, pulling Mike close. "Shhh, it's alright." He didn't bother telling Mike that there would be others. Probably hundreds of others as time went on. For the moment, he knew that Mike probably wouldn't believe a word of it. It felt like the end of everything, losing someone. "I don't ever want you to have to feel this again." Damien sighed and began carefully cleaning the blood and dirt from Mike's skin, from under his nails, finally shutting off the water and taking the same patient approaching in drying them both. That done, he led Mike back into his bedroom and drew his childe close against his chest. Drawing the covers up over them, Damien whispered, "Sleep. Rest. You're safe, and I'm here."

Mike nodded against Damien's chest. "Thank you," he whispered, "for taking care of me." When he wanted to, his sire could be the most generous and caring being in the whole world. Maybe he had made a terrible mistake getting involved with a mortal, let alone falling for one so quickly. He couldn't help himself though. Despite Gill's troubled so, Mike had never been more attracted to someone. He'd found him beautiful, inside and out. And now that precious life was gone. Mike clung a little closer to Damien. Dawn was fast approaching and he finally gave into the irresistible draw of sleep...

The night came soon enough, and Damien's eyes opened to find Mike clinging tightly to him. "Time to get up," he whispered to the other vampire. He wouldn't let Mike fall into the trap of hiding himself away and languishing in his grief. "We should go get a little someone to eat." The words were light, almost teasing, and he offered Mike a hint of a smile. "You'll feel better once you've fed." The rush of the act was instinctive, after all, would override the pain if only for a few minutes, and Mike obviously needed the relief. "Let's get dressed and go to the club." It wouldn't help for Mike to avoid the place when it was effectively the only watering hole in town. "I'll stay with you if you prefer."

Mike didn't know if he was ready to face the bar again so soon. He would forever associate it with Gill. They had barely known each other the space of a night, and yet there was an undeniable connection between them. Now that Gill was gone, Mike felt a terrible loss. It was almost as if someone had torn out a chunk of his unbeating heart. "Thanks, Damien," he replied, managing a brave little smile. "I... I don't want to be by myself. I know I've got to get back to dancing at some point, but right now..." Mike shook his head. He really wasn't looking forward to baring his body for fang-bangers and curiosity-seekers.

"I won't let you hide forever... but we can stay here for tonight if you like." He had some True Blood in the fridge, and it would do until they were able to find something a bit warmer and more vital. Obviously Mike wasn't quite ready for society yet. It was important for him to get back on the horse, so to speak, but he wouldn't break his childe by pushing too hard too fast. "What would make you feel better, hmm? The night is entirely yours."

Rewinding the clock. Saving Gill. Those were the only things that could ever possibly hope to make Mike feel better. Before he had a chance to reply, let alone get out of Damien's bed, there came an insistent knocking on the door.

"Damien?" Finn called out. "Are you there? Please? I need you..."

Damien's brow furrowed. At first he couldn't even place the voice, though it was familiar. "Shit," he cursed, rolling his eyes and climbing out of bed. He stopped to pull on a pair of boxers before moving over to the door and opening it. As he'd surmised, Finn was standing there, panting, flushed and actually looking pretty damn cute. "Didn't know I ordered takeout." The vampire stood aside and gestured for the mortal to come in. "Might as well join us since you're here. Why are you here? Am I really that out of practice with this shit?"

Finn felt an almost unnatural surge of relief seeing Damien again. It was all he could do not to tumble into the vampire's arms and offer his throat to be devoured. "I..." he faltered, overcome by Damien's presence. "...I knew that you needed me, and you said you wanted to see me again." Desperation thickened his voice as hungry eyes raked over the other man's body. Finn stepped inside the apartment, and his stupor lifted slightly when he found Mike sharing Damien's bed. "Mike?"

"Finn?" Mike couldn't quite process who Damien's visitor had turned out to be. He actually performed a double-take, sitting up and gathering the sheets around him in a rush of modesty. "Wait..." Recovering from the surprise, the Asian vampire turned his curious gaze toward his sire. "Weren't we just talking about how wrong it is to get involved with mortals?" He never figured Damien for a hypocrite, so he suspected more was going on here than he realized.

Damien resisted the urge to roll his eyes only because Mike was having such a rough night already. "It is. It's stupid. We're not involved. I did, however... well, I may've mentioned a return engagement, and I _may_be a little out of practice putting the whammy on mortals." He shook his head and offered Finn a fond smile before arching an eyebrow and looking back to Mike. "Didn't realize you boys knew each other. School?" High school seemed so long ago and far away that it was almost funny thinking of them being connected that way. "Anyway, we _were_just talking about having a bite to eat," he pointed out reasonably before taking one of Finn's hands and drawing him into the bedroom. "No sense wasting an opportunity."

"Yes," Mike replied, blinking up at his sire. "We're friends, we were in glee together, played football..." As grief-stricken as he felt over Gill's death, his vampire instincts kick in. And he couldn't help finding the sight of Finn exposing his throat... arousing. Mike hadn't realized just how hungry he was. He'd forgotten to feed last night, and here was a gorgeous all-American jock presented before him on a silver platter. And shockingly, Finn wanted to be bitten. His friend was fairly begging for it.

"In case you're worried, it will fade. Should have already, but I may've overdone it a bit." Damien cupped the back of Finn's head in his hand and pressed a kiss to his chin and down over the sensitive flesh of his neck. One of the vampire's hands slid up under the edge of Finn's t-shirt. "I know you want me. What about Mike? You mind if he has a taste, pretty? Figure it won't be too much of a problem, you two being friends and all..." The idea of watching Mike and Finn together was more than a little hot, though he had no idea what Mike would be up to after his traumatic evening the night before.

Finn's eyes rolled up into the back of his head, and a moan of ecstasy escaped his half-parted lips. Damien was kissing him, touching him, and his body responded in kind. He was burning, aching for more. If Damien wanted Mike to feed from him too, then Finn had no objection. His only focus in life was to please Damien. "I don't mind," came Finn's breathless reply. "Please?" He turned his head, exposing his throat.

"Finn," Mike started, taken aback by how much power Damien held over his friend. He hesitated, only to feel his thirst for blood enveloping him in a red haze of need. He could hear Finn's heart beating, calling out to him to taste the boiling elixir flowing through his veins. Mike reached out, his fingers ghosting over the wound marring Finn's neck. He shared a glance with Damien before gently turning the mortal's head and bringing his cool lips to the unblemished side of Finn's throat. It was shocking how warm his friend felt, and Mike vaguely wondered if he might be suffering from a fever. The thought was brief, as his hunger was far too great. Kissing a path to a pulsing artery, the Asian vampire slowly pierced the flesh with his fangs. He heard Finn gasp and he felt him cling to Damien. Scorching hot and deliciously sweet, Finn's blood rushed into his mouth and Mike drank greedily.

Damien considered drinking as well, but he wasn't hungry enough to justify it. Finn probably couldn't afford to give enough for the both of them. Instead he reached down, unbuttoning the mortal's fly and sliding a hand inside. He palmed the pulsing erection he found there and growled softly. "So fucking hard already... You like this, don't you? Like the way it feels feeding us..." Damien nipped gently at the marked flesh on the other side of Finn's neck. "Let me do something for you." Since Mike was obviously too far gone to feel uncomfortable with any of it, Damien sank down to his knees in front of Finn and leaned in, sucking the teenager down in a single go just to watch his body spasm.

"Damien," Finn moaned the vampire's name, giving his body over to pleasure as that cool, wet mouth surrounded his aching length. He shuddered and arched, going into sensory overload from the duality of Damien and Mike's assault. Ecstasy the likes of which he had never dreamed of flowed through him. Finn felt Mike's arms embracing him, holding him still as he quaked and thrust himself between Damien's lips. Mike's own groan of pleasure was muffled by his feeding. Finn tasted spicier, off-setting the sweetness as desire enriched the mortal's blood. He was desperately hungry, and the fact that he was drinking from the well of his friend's life no longer mattered.

"Careful with him," Damien cautioned when he pulled off for a minute. "I may have overdone it in other ways last night too." He chuckled and licked Finn's cock. Everything seemed to bring the teenager closer to release, and it was gorgeous to watch. He was beautiful lost in pleasure and hungry for more. That Mike was fastened to his neck and showing absolutely no reservations about anything that was going on. His childe definitely needed the distraction. "Why didn't you ever drag him off for a quickie before? Sexy as hell."

Mike found himself deaf to Damien's warning. He continued to feed on Finn's delicious blood, gulping down mouthfuls and relishing the warmth flowing through him. What eventually stopped him and made him break away with a wet gasp was the slowing of Finn's heart. It reminded him of Gill, and how the mortal had lost his life in the same way. He gazed at the fresh wound marring Finn's throat, and the streaks of blood around it. "I... I'd better go," he stammered, licking at his mouth. Mike scrambled for his clothes, dressing and pausing to squeeze Damien's shoulder. "You'll take care of him, won't you?"

"I... yeah. But I can call him a cab or something," Damien insisted, covering Mike's hand with his own. Finn was beautiful, but Mike was his childe, his family. "Tonight is about you, making you feel better. If this isn't what you need, we'll find something else." He didn't want Mike to run away, to be alone and hurt, though he did feel some guilt for leaving Finn in such rough shape the night before given that he was one of Mike's friends. "I want to take care of you. Whatever you need."

"I know, and I appreciate that." Mike glanced down at Damien's hand draped over his own. "But, I think what I really need right now is to be alone and sort out my thoughts." He smiled softly, his gaze falling on Finn who appeared completely blissed out of his mind. As tempting as it might have been to join his sire in ravaging the mortal, Mike's heart just wasn't in it. "Have fun, okay? I'll come back before dawn, I promise." He pressed a soft kiss to Damien's cheek before grabbing his jacket and leaving the other vampire and Finn alone.

Laying back on the bed, Finn mewled Damien's name while blood continued to seep from the fresh wound in his throat. "Please?" he begged, reaching out for Damien in a desperate attempt for him to drink.

Damien watched his childe go with a slight frown, but he understood. It was a bit much for Mike, and he'd promised to come back. It would have to be enough. Pushing would only make Mike withdraw into himself more. The breathless plea from the bed refocused Damien's attentions on the lovely mortal still hard and wanting and spread out for him like a feast. He groaned at the sight of Finn baring his neck and couldn't resist draping himself over that long, muscular body. His lips paused just inches from Finn's neck. "You beautiful like this." Knowing that, especially given how thoroughly he'd overdone things with the glamour, Finn was likely to have at least some residual desire lingering in his system for awhile, Damien whispered, "Do you remember what I asked you to do? Have you kept our little secret?" His hand reached down, and cool fingers curled around Finn's cock to give him at least a little relief.

Finn inhaled sharply, arching into Damien's welcome touch. "Yes, yes," he replied breathless. "Kurt won't be seeing Blaine again; he promised." He felt near-desperate for the vampire's approval, to know that he had pleased him. The fever raging through his body, Finn ached as he reached out to touch Damien, to bring him in closer. His whole world centered on this incredible creature, surrendering to his thrall and willingly giving himself over to him. "Fuck me, please?" he begged, warm hands restlessly roaming over Damien's body. "You said you would. Remember? If I did good..."

Damien hesitated for a moment. He had promised, but he felt a moment of indecision over taking Mike's friend when he wasn't able to make the decision entirely his own. Still... he was lovely, and judging from what he'd said the night before, Finn would've been willing even if the circumstances had been different. "You're right. Hate to break a promise." Damien carefully divested Finn of his clothing before shedding his own boxers. "You're beautiful, y'know that? Fucking sexy." As he stretched himself out over Finn's body, Damien reached for the lube on the nightstand. He paused and met the teen's gaze, searching the lust-clouded eyes. "Do you really want this? I can make you feel good even without it, baby."

"Yes, I want it," Finn all but exclaimed. "Please, Damien. I need it, I need _you_." His hands were feverish on the vampire's cool body, mauling and groping, seemingly unable to get enough of him. "Drink me, take me, let me give myself to you... Please? Please, Damien?" There was no doubt in Finn's mind. He had never wanted anything or anyone so much. Already the jock was spreading his long legs, completely willing for Damien to use him. When Finn's memories of Damien returned, his one thought, his only purpose in life was pleasing him. He writhed uncontrollably, feeling as if he might die if the vampire didn't want him.

"Shhh, calm down. I'll take good care of you." Damien leaned in and kissed Finn on the lips for the first time, a gentle gesture as slick fingers moved into position between Finn's legs. One digit carefully began stretching and pressing to east the way. "I need you to relax for me, baby. Take a deep breath and then let me in."

Finn obeyed without question. His eyes widened in shock and awe. He'd never felt anything like it before. The burning stretch was offset by the coolness of Damien's finger, and Finn shuddered as the vampire sank deeper. "Oh god, yes," he gasped, even harder than before from the new sensation. Finn tensed and arched, the need burning inside of him growing in intensity. Trembling hands reached out for Damien as if to draw him in even closer. He wanted the other man with a hunger he simply could not contain.

It was amazing to see Finn falling apart at the touch. The glamour was making things better, but Finn obviously wanted what was happening or he wouldn't be giving himself over with such enthusiasm. Since the mortal was so eager and willing, Damien carefully added a second finger. He frankly didn't know how long either of their patience would hold out, and he wanted to stretch Finn and prepare him as much as possible before they gave in to temptation. "Gotta be patient... just a little bit more... I want it to feel good, baby."

"Want you... so much..." Sweat glistened all over Finn's flushed face, and he thrashed his head from side to side, growing increasingly desperate. Blood continued to flow from the wound Mike had left, staining his neck and shoulder. Finn, who had never even experimentally touched himself in such an intimate spot, was now churning his hips, seemingly unable to get enough of Damien's questing digits.

"Goddamn, you look fucking gorgeous like this." Damien smirked and, once Finn was relaxed around his fingers, he withdrew them gently. "This is gonna be a little harder than my fingers. You sure you're ready?" The helpless groan that escaped the mortal was a definite yes. Damien leaned in to kiss the teen heatedly as he slowly began to feed his cock into Finn's body. The first few thrusts were little more than a start, shallow motions meant to carefully open Finn up. As soon as Damien felt a little extra give, he pushed harder and felt the bloated head of his cock popping into Finn's tight ass. He couldn't remember if he'd ever been with anyone so hot except for Blaine. Leaning in, Damien licked at the rivulets of crimson staining the other man's skin. "Fuck..."

Finn had never felt anything like it before! The pleasure/pain of the moment, of being taken by another man, was completely overwhelming and he found himself drowning in the unfamiliar sensations. His jaw fell open and his eyes closed as one long, ragged moan wrenched itself from his throat. Damien felt huge inside of him, seemingly stretching him to the bursting point. His hands splayed themselves across the vampire's back, clutching at him desperately, holding on for dear life. Finn shivered as Damien's cool tongue brushed over his heated skin, licking at the blood weeping from his throat. "Fuck me," he heard himself gasp. "Fuck me, Damien... please?"

Any reservations Damien had been clinging to dissolved at the heated words and the catch in Finn's voice. Soon he was pressing his cock against the boy's entrance without remembering having withdrawn his fingers. It didn't matter. The heat of Finn's body swallowed him whole, and Damien groaned against the boy's neck. He held himself back from biting again - Finn would have to find his own way home tonight, and that wouldn't work if he was unconscious - so all of the vampire's desire was channeled into thrusting deeper into Finn with every rock of his hips. Every inch of him that touched Finn felt as if it were on fire. "Do you like it, baby? You've almost got it all..."

Finn's eyes were dark and stormy and as wide as saucers at the wonder of being filled by another man's cock. Damien was so long and thick that Finn marveled at the sensation of his virginal walls stretching and flaring to accommodate the vampire's considerable length and girth. Sinfully sweet words whispered in his ear, and he eagerly gasped, "Yes! Oh god, Damien... I've never... unnnhhh... felt anything... like it... I love it, I want more... want you... please...?" If Finn had been in his right mind, he would have blushed hotly over his words. He hardly ever swore, and now here he was begging Damien to fuck him like a whore. "Please, Damien?"

The vampire whispered a few soothing words as he pushed in deeper. It was slow going, and he didn't want to do any damage. It was so much more delicious when the mortals enjoyed it. There was nothing quite like the smell of pleasure, and Damien wanted to show Finn the pleasure of things he'd never done before. Finally he pressed a lazy kiss to Finn's neck. "That's everything. I'm completely inside you, baby... and you feel so fucking good..." Only when he felt Finn relax again did Damien begin to thrust. He tried to hold back and show some sort of mercy, but it was too much, and before he knew it his hips were slamming into Finn's hard and fast.

The painful burning stretch which had so shocked him had been replaced by a pleasure that threatened to drown him completely. Damien struck something deep inside of him that ignited sparks throughout Finn's body. He gasped and shivered, his cock flexing and dribbling precum all over himself and the vampire. "Unnnhhh... fuck... yes, yes... You feel... oh my god... Damien... amazing... please, don't stop..." Babbling out of his mind with ecstasy, the jock sought out Damien's mouth, kissing him with a growing desperation.

He had no intention of stopping, not for a moment. Damien drove into Finn as if he couldn't get enough - and he honestly couldn't. The mortal was gorgeous, never more so than gasping and begging for cock like it wasn't his first time. Obviously whether Finn knew it or not, he'd been waiting for this. His body recognized precisely what it had been aching for, and Damien watched the ecstasy play over the teen's features as he pulled out almost entirely only to slam forward harder than before. There would be bruises the next day where his fingers gripped Finn's hips, another little reminder of what had happened.

On the verge of coming totally undone, Finn managed to grab hold of Damien's back, clutching at him desperately. The sudden, violent thrust of the vampire's cock left him reeling and even hungrier for more. His mind whirled, his every thought and every need focused on Damien. Intense pleasure left him breathless, even as he continued to seek out the other man's mouth. Finn's groans were muffled as his tongue dueled with Damien's. He couldn't get enough of him, or that amazing cock plowing into him. Already his body was tensing, ready to explode-and Finn whimpered against those cool lips, "Cum... you're gonna make... me... cum..."

"That's the idea, baby," Damien whispered as he nipped at Finn's swollen lower lip. "I bet I can make you cum more than once. You love this... having that sexy ass fucked. You've been aching for it. You've been wanting it. I can see it, feel it... been holding this back for a long time, haven't you?" He groaned and rocked his hips into Finn, jamming hard against his prostate. "Don't hold back with me, beautiful. Cum for me. Let me watch you explode so I can make you do it all over again."

The promise of even more of Damien's attention, plus the vampire's heated insistence, triggered an explosive series of multiple orgasms throughout Finn's aching body. He shuddered violently beneath the other man's thrusting form, crying out in ecstasy as his painfully bloated cock erupted in torrents of scalding white. His muscles flared around Damien's pistoning length, clamping down on the vampire's girth like a vice. Finn, glistening with exertion, writhed uncontrollably. He flailed helplessly, gasping and crying out, being completely driven out of his mind.

Watching the teenager come undone at the seams was one of the most beautiful things that Damien had ever seen. Finn was absolutely and utterly stunning as he wriggled and bucked. Knowing that he couldn't take much more, Damien slowed his movements for a moment. "Didn't even have to touch you... gorgeous, baby," he murmured against the mortal's neck, still licking at the drying blood. "We'll slow it down for just a second. Then I'm gonna fuck you s'more. I'm gonna make you scream."

Finn continued to twitch and shudder as if being prodded by an electric cable. His chest heaved as his gasped and tried to catch his breath. No one had ever made him feel this way before; no one possibly could. Damien's erotic promises filtered through the haze surrounding Finn's mind, and once he was certain his brain hadn't leaked out of his ears and was puddled somewhere between his legs, was the jock finally able to speak again. "Yes... yes, please? Anything, please? Just... don't stop... wanting me..." He found the energy to bring life back into his boneless arms again, cupping the vampire's face and drawing him into another kiss. Finn whimpered as he tasted his own salty sweat and coppery blood on Damien's tongue. And he squeezed himself around the enormous cock still buried deep inside of him.

For a moment, Damien almost promised. He almost told Finn that he wouldn't, that he'd be there whenever the mortal wanted him. It was a strange, jarring lapse in judgment and one that Damien cursed himself for. Thankfully the kiss saved him from actually making the mistake. He managed to keep the foolishness entirely to himself. Finn's insistent stimulation distracted him quickly enough, and Damien groaned as he began to thrust again. He moved slowly, mindful of how close he was to the edge and wanting to draw things out just a little longer. He needed to get the mortal home - now wasn't the time for a visit from the police - but... but he was beautiful, and it wasn't in Damien's nature to deny himself pleasure when it was so willingly offered.

Impossibly sensitive from his own devastating climax, Finn shivered and arched beneath Damien. "Yes!" he cried out, grasping desperately at the thrusting vampire. "Oh god, Damien..." Helpless and aching, the jock forced life into his quivering legs and squeezed them tighter around the object of his intense desire. "Fuck... fuck me..." His head thrashed from side to side, his body flailing with renewed arousal. Flushed and glistening with a mixture of sweat and his own release, Finn Hudson was the very picture of wanton decadence. Damien pumped into him, filling him with that incredible cock, stretching him open in ways he'd never dreamed possible. "Don't stop," he begged, gasping for breath. "You can have me... all of me..."

Damien couldn't help but pick up the pace faster than he'd intended. The mortal was too sexy for his own good. The words spilling from his lips left Damien aching to tear into his throat and drink deep, drink until there was nothing left to take... but he was smart enough to know how that would end - not to mention the fact that Mike would be back eventually, and the last thing he wanted was for the man to see another body that night. That thought gave Damien the restraint he needed to confine his carnal pleasure to fucking Finn into oblivion instead. "What is it about you?" he murmured before thrusting hard into the teenager's impossibly tight ass.

The glamour over Finn held him in a grip so strong that he was blinded to everything except for Damien. From all-American jock to vampire addict with one glance and some whispered words. His cock, which had never lost its hardness, twitched with each vigorous stroke of Damien's over that new-found pleasure spot deep within him. "Want you... just you," he repeated over and over hoarsely. Finn's shivering hands roamed down the length of the vampire's spine, reaching down and cupping his amazing bottom. It didn't even register in his lust-fogged mind that he was fondling another man's ass. All Finn knew was how wonderful it felt. His kiss-swollen mouth brushed across Damien's cheek as he hungrily searched out his lips again.

Damien knew he wasn't going to last as long as he'd intended. Finn was too gorgeous, too deliciously eager for him to hold out. "Gonna fill you up, baby... give you everything I've got." Damien sealed their lips together and kissed the mortal with all the hunger he couldn't sate with the man's blood. His hips rocked harder into the man's willing body, and he savored the rough passion boiling between them. With Finn gripping him like a vice and the mortal's heated flesh pressed against his own, Damien finally came. He gripped Finn's hips so hard that the mortal was sure to be horribly bruised come morning.

Damien kept his promise; the vampire fucked him with such devastating force that ragged screams of ecstasy were wrenched from Finn's throat. Cool seed overflowed from Damien's spurting cock, soothing his ravaged passage as his tender walls continued to flare helplessly around him. Finn had only ever felt this sense of completion when Damien fed from him. It left him shocked and awed and desperate for more. "Damien... Damien, please..." He didn't even know what he was begging for. Finn just didn't want the vampire to stop.

Reluctantly, Damien withdrew his softening cock and admitted, "I wish I could drink you, baby. So fucking beautiful." But if he took more, Finn wouldn't be able to stay conscious, let alone get home safely. Instead, he decided on another way to indulge the mortal. Effortlessly despite Finn's larger size, Damien flipped the mortal and left Finn's ass jutting up in the air. His tongue flicked out against the mortal's dripping hole, and he began to clean the other man of his own cum. Finn's muscles continued to twitch around him, and Damien finally added two fingers along with his tongue, stroking the man's prostate and wondering if he could get his partner off all over again.

Tonight had been a whirlwind of new sensations, and Finn found himself completely unprepared for Damien's unfamiliar and thoroughly decadent assault. He cried out, wriggling helplessly as he tried to process what was happening. The vampire's clever tongue felt amazing against his quivering asshole; Finn had never even contemplated licking someone _there _before. Now, he couldn't get enough of it. And when Damien withdrew, the overheated jock whimpered in protest only to gasp when those skilled digits plunged deep inside of him. Electric tendrils of pleasure lashed out, frying his senses and turning him into a gibbering wreck. Finn clawed at the bed, thrusting back against those questing fingers in desperation. Each stroke brought him closer and closer to plummeting over the edge. His swollen cock throbbed painfully until he simply couldn't take the sweet torture any longer. Roaring with ecstasy, great ribbons of white erupted from between Finn's legs, painting both the comforter and Damien in torrents of molten seed.

Only when Finn began whimpering in what sounded like pain as much as pleasure did Damien finally withdraw, gently sliding his fingers from Finn's grasping ass and kissing one rounded cheek. "Fuck, you're hot." He smoothed a hand over Finn's back before whispering, "Stay here." He slipped away to the bathroom and returned with a cloth. Damien carefully cleaned the sweat, cum and blood from the mortal's skin. "There. Better. Wouldn't want you going home looking like a mess. I think you'll have enough reminders of tonight... but I'm afraid you still can't tell anyone, not about me." It was a damn shame too, after he'd reduced the gorgeous teen to a desperate quivering mess in such a satisfying manner. But the cops might have questions, and he wasn't about to let himself be put in that position. "I need you to get dressed and go home. It's almost sunrise."

Finn floated in a state of ultimate bliss, shivering as an intoxicated grin split his face in two. He'd never felt such a sense of ecstasy, of completeness before. And it was all because of Damien, a vampire... another man. But then the dream ended and Finn faced the harsh reality of being separated from Damien again. Somehow he managed to summon a little strength into his boneless limbs, sitting up with a groan. "I'm going to forget you again?" he murmured with almost devastating sadness. Finn glanced down at his arms, which were still covered in band-aids. "I did this to myself." He winced as he removed one, showing Damien the deep scratch. "I... I didn't know why, but I do now. It's because I wanted you. I needed you to bite me again."

Brow furrowed, Damien reached down and gently ran his fingers over the bandages. "I don't want you to hurt yourself," he stated as clearly as possible. The glamour would fade soon, but before it did, he wanted to try and undo whatever damage his initial lack of restraint had caused. "You were made for this, but you have to be careful. Not everyone will be as... careful as I've tried to be." Damien sighed and found himself stroking one stubbled cheek before he could hold himself back from the gesture. "You don't have to forget, but you can't tell anyone. That's very important. As it is, you can't come back here. It's too dangerous. I know I'm not eager for the final death, and I tend to think you might mind if the police decided I needed a cell with a view of the rising sun."

"No, I don't want anything to happen to you," Finn protested vehemently. He would hurl himself in front of the police if it meant protecting Damien. Pressing himself catlike into Damien's touch, he closed his eyes and relished the contact. "I promise I won't tell anyone." Finn looked at Damien again, sighing at the overwhelming feeling of attraction. "But... I don't want another vampire. I just want you. Please, can I... see you again?" If the answer was no, then Finn thought he might die. "We can be careful. I can be careful. No one had to know." Desperation thickened his throat as he begged, "Please, Damien?"

/Shit./ Damien had never been particularly good at cruelty. He disliked hurting people. He'd first learned to glamour mortals simply to spare them any discomfort, to see that feeding was as enjoyable for them as it always was for him. So hearing Finn begging chipped away quickly at his intentions never to see the man again. "Yes... yes, but... you have to wait. A few days, at least. You have to give the police time to give up on finding whoever hurt you." /Or at least find a suspect that isn't me./ He sighed and couldn't resist pressing a kiss to Finn's forehead. "I'll come for you when it's safe. Meanwhile, stay where you belong."

Finn almost started to protest again, but the glamour remained powerful and he submitted to Damien's will without argument. "Okay," he agreed softly. Still weak from both the loss of blood and the succession of devastating climaxes, Finn stumbled as he searched around for his clothes. A twinge in his ass made him bite back a whimper; if he couldn't see Damien, at least he would be feeling the vampire for days to come. Redressing, he caught the time and realized that it would be morning before too long. "I'd better go," he decided, turning back to Damien and weakening in his presence again. "I... I think I can make it home by myself." Finn moved closer, aching to touch Damien, to give himself over to him. "Thanks... for tonight, and... for letting me remember."

Damien found himself increasingly annoyed at the way his stomach clenched at the words. He didn't like feeling like an asshole, but he also didn't want the mortal to start thinking that their connection was something more than it really was. "Go home. Get yourself cleaned up... just... remember what I told you." He heard his phone buzzing and grabbed it to find a message from Mike saying he wouldn't be back for the night. The news made Damien's brow furrow, and he all but forgot that Finn was still there as he wondered what had happened since Mike walked out of the apartment.

Feeling drained from the encounter with Mike and the implications of all that he'd heard, Damien made his way upstairs, hoping that spending a few minutes with Blaine might prove slightly less jarring. He leaned against the wall and gave the door a firm knock. Maybe he could even cheer Blaine up. It was no secret, he supposed, that Blaine was his favorite. There was something about the dark-haired boy that had captivated him immediately, and the longer he knew Blaine, the more he'd fallen. Damien couldn't help it. He loved the way that even after everything, Blaine had a bright light inside of him, something gentle and beautiful that even death didn't seem to dim.

Blaine shuffled toward the door, the sound of the knock the first thing he'd responded to all night. Dried blood caked under his eyes, he couldn't bring himself to face Damien. He simply stood aside, allowing his sire inside. "I... I think I killed someone last night," he murmured, leaning against the wall. "He was my friend, and... I must have drank too much because I saw he was found dead in the newspaper... God, I didn't mean to..." Anguished, and filled with pangs of guilt, Blaine hugged himself to keep from breaking down all over again.

/So much for this being the easy visit,/ Damien thought, stunning by the very suggestion. Blaine was usually so careful that he'd worried at times that his childe would deprive himself rather than risk being too careless. It was difficult to believe that Blaine could possibly have killed anyone. Gently he pulled the other vampire into his arms, knowing that Blaine needed the comfort whether he wanted it or not. "I find that very, very difficult to believe," Damien whispered earnestly. "Even accidentally... are you sure? Was he woozy or lightheaded when he left?" From what Blaine had said, the boy had died after exiting the apartment - which meant that he'd probably gone somewhere under his own power. That seemed highly unlikely if he'd been that bad off.

"No... no, he was fine," Blaine stammered, trembling in Damien's embrace. "At least... he seemed to be." He sniffled, feeling horrible over Jeremiah's tragic death. "But he was found right outside. And, if it wasn't because of me, then... I don't know..." Drawing back, Blaine brushed at the fresh streaks of blood pouring down his cheeks. He realized he probably looked like a complete disaster, but he couldn't bring himself to care. "Jeremiah, he... he kept me company last night. Kurt... broke up with me, and I was so hurt..." He lifted his aching gaze to his sire. "I never meant for any of this to happen."

"I know. Of course not. Let me get you cleaned up." Without allowing Blaine to protest, Damien went into the kitchen and got a warm cloth. Soon enough the bloodied streaks were gone from the other vampire's face and Blaine looked better whether he felt it or not. "I'll see what I can find out about Jeremiah later, but right now, you need me." Damien gently led Blaine over to the couch and pulled the younger vampire in close. "I'm sorry about all of this... Kurt and Jeremiah. It's why I've always warned you about getting involved with mortals. It gets so complicated, and they're so fragile. It never ends well. They either leave, or they die."

Blaine nodded mutely as he allowed Damien to comfort him. "Sometimes, I... I feel like I'm cursed or something," he admitted in a soft voice. "Everything I touch gets ruined." He would never be able to forget Kurt, or the aching sadness in the mortal's eyes. Then, there was Jeremiah. A man he had followed around like a puppy dog, only to destroy his life in one brief night. Blaine shuddered, unable to understand why all of these terrible things were happening in rapid succession. /I am cursed.../ "Maybe you'd be safer if you didn't see me anymore," he told Damien. "I don't have the best track record at the moment."

"That's ridiculous. You're my family. You and Mike... you're everything. I would never leave you." He rubbed his hands gently over Blaine's back and then up into his hair. It was knotted, unruly after being neglected entirely that night. "I'm here to take care of you, and I'm only sorry that I haven't done a better job." If he'd been more attentive, maybe he could have headed things off with Kurt before they got so complicated, before Blaine was so hurt by it all. "But tonight I won't leave you. How's that? Just the two of us."

"Okay," Blaine faltered, unsure whether he wanted company or not. Damien had always been very kind to him, and he appreciated his sire's gentleness despite his own sullen attitude. "Thank you, Damien. I'm sorry..." He shook his head, stunned over Jeremiah's death to properly take it in. "...I still don't know how any of this happened. Jeremiah was fine when he left." Resting against Damien's shoulder, he found himself confessing, "Maybe I drank too much, and just didn't realize it..." He glanced up. "I thought I was in love with him, you know? Not like with Kurt... It was a crush, that's all. But, I could've got carried away... I don't know..."

Damien shook his head, again rejecting the idea. "No... that's just not you. If it'll make you feel better, though, I'll check into it. I'll find out what they're saying. Right now I want to take care of you." Jeremiah's situation, after all, wasn't going to be changing. He was dead. Gone. Mortals were erased from the world so easily. It wasn't that no one cared - Damien was sure he had family or friends or someone who would worry - but they were so impermanent that it was startling. "And even if something did happen, I wouldn't let anyone get close to 'll be protected." His sire could help if nothing else, could pave the way for him to get Blaine and Mike the hell out of town. "You need to be careful with them, with mortals. I don't just mean drinking. Getting involved with them... it's messy, and dangerous considering the way people here feel about us. No matter what they say, you can't ever really trust them."

Blaine nodded, even if he wanted to vehemently counter that Kurt was different. Damien was set in opinion of mortals, and there seemed to be no changing his mind. "I... I know you'll take care of me," he faltered, still unsure whether he was responsible for Jeremiah's death or not. "And, I'm glad you're here, but... Could you try and find out something tonight?" Blaine lifted his worried gaze to plead with his sire. "I'm going to drive myself crazy unless I know one way or the other." That was an understatement as far as he was concerned. He was already teetering on the edge of sanity, with despair threatening to weigh him down. "Please, Damien? For me?"

Damien hesitated at the plea but finally nodded. It was Blaine, and he could never deny his childe much of anything. "Alright, I'll go. Just try to keep yourself calm, okay? There's really no need to worry about something we can't change." He knew that was easier said than done, and kissed Blaine gently on the lips. "You don't have to stay here, but keep a low profile if you go out. A snack might do you good." Hoping Blaine could keep himself together without help, Damien headed out into the night to see what the word was on Jeremiah.

Blaine couldn't bring himself to even contemplate feeding on someone. Especially not after what had happened to poor Jeremiah. He hugged himself, determining to stay at home out of fear of venturing outside. He appreciated Damien's help and comfort. But Blaine seriously doubted his sire would find anything to ease his guilt. There was no doubt in his mind that he had been responsible for Jeremiah's death. His grief over losing Kurt had made him go to far, drink too much. Otherwise he couldn't understand how the mortal might have died so quickly right outside of the apartment building.

Finding it near impossible to remain clam in the confines of his home, Blaine showered and dressed before risking stepping into the night. He nearly stopped and backtracked when he saw the chalk outline and remnants of police tape waiting for him. Swallowing down another deep pang of guilt, Blaine hurried past the scene and disappeared into the darkness...

"Oh, thank god!" The relief in the young woman's voice sounded entirely genuine. She pushed some stringy red hair behind her ear with one hand and reached for Blaine's sleeve. "Please... my boyfriend... he was hurt. Some guys came out of nowhere, roughed him up..." There were real tears streaking the girl's cheek, and the darkness hid the fact that there was no emotion but greed in her bright gaze. "He's right over here. Please, we just need help getting to the hospital." As Blaine came along, the girl turned to lead him into the alley and allowed herself a tight smile. It was amazing how someone who had all of eternity to learn better could be so damn stupid.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Author's Notes:** In which we find out what Gill's been up to.

Eventually Gill wandered into a truck stop and put down the little bit of cash in his pocket to use their showers. At least only his clothes smelled like wet dirt by the time he came out. The young man finally went back to his own house out of sheer desperation. Thankfully both his mother and stepfather were out. He used the time to get some fresh clothes, ditch his dirty, bloody ones in the trash can out back, and steal a little food. The whole thing felt pointless, and Gill spent most of the afternoon wandering anyway.

Night found him standing outside the Last Drop. Now that he'd established that he wanted to live only to realize that the reason he'd wanted it didn't want him, Gill was torn. Maybe it would be nice for it to just be over once and for all... and maybe he couldn't even have that anymore. Either way, the mortal sighed and sat down on the curb to see if anyone was interested in some used goods. He had nowhere else to go.

John wasn't much for the vampire bar scene. With his charm and looks he had no problem whatsoever meeting someone in the most public of mortal places. Tonight, however, the bartender's scent had continued to haunt him and he found himself returning to the Last Drop. He could no longer find Merlin's intoxicating aroma in the air for some strange reason, but that didn't deter him. He was near desperate to taste him. The only thing that made him falter in his tracks was the memory of the very angry, very protective older vampire who would have surely ripped him to shreds. He paused, wondering if he should leave when he spotted a rather pretty little morsel waiting outside the bar. "What's a lovely boy like you doing out here all alone?" John asked, approaching Gill.

"Breathing. Kinda weird, actually," Gill answered without any hint of sarcasm. The guy looking down at him was hot, actually. If he hadn't been busy feeling like his heart had been crushed like a bug and wondering why he was even still walking, Gill probably would have been a lot nicer. "Want something? Because otherwise I'm gonna get back to that." He didn't care if the man wanted him or not. He'd give him blood or whatever else he wanted if the guy asked because it didn't matter, but he sure as hell wasn't interested in throwing himself at anyone.

There was... something different about this mortal. Not in the same way as the bar's alluring bartender, but... different all the same. What was it about this small town drawing in so many intoxicating temptations? John didn't question it further even if the phenomena did arouse his curiosity. "Well, I wouldn't mind a little company," he admitted, sidling even closer to Gill. The mortal was even more lovely than when the vampire first glimpsed him. "If you're up for it, that is." John's smile was dazzling, and one that normally left those he was interested in melting for him. "I can promise you'll have the time of your life."

The line earned an indelicate bark of laughter from Gill, but he rose to join the man just the same. "You gonna take me in and buy me a drink, or is this a quick fuck in a dark corner kind of a situation?" he asked without any obvious preference for either. In the end, what did it really matter? They could have a drink, dance, pretend it mattered, but did it? Did any of it? Gill tried to shake off the morose mood and nodded toward the door. "If you like me enough to try those lines, you probably like me enough to at least get me a shot or two... set the mood."

If Gill hadn't have been so hot, John might not have bothered. It had been a while since he'd last had to chase after a mortal. And the vampire wasn't about to start now. He peered at Gill, reaching out and stroking his fingers down one side of that lovely face. "You don't need a drink," he said seductively. "You want to come home with me, don't you?" John's lips were only inches away from Gill's, teasing and drawing him in with the glamour. "You want me, and there's nothing you'll say to no to, right?"

And just like that the sick feeling in his stomach was gone. Gill felt it dissolve in a heartbeat, and suddenly he found himself staring at a gorgeous man. How had he not noticed how gorgeous the man was? He didn't even know his name, but he knew he couldn't remember ever wanting someone quite so much. Gill groaned and leaned into the gentle touch of John's hand. "Let's go back to your place. Need you," he whispered, already pressing himself against John. It almost sounded like too much to wait until they got back to wherever John was staying, but he was pretty sure somebody would call the cops if he asked the guy to fuck him right there on the curb.

John smiled, easing back without losing contact with the tempting mortal. "That's a good boy," he purred, holding Gill's gaze. "Just let all those troubles melt away and let me take care of you." The vampire's other hand snaked around to press against the small of Gill's back, crushing their bodies together. He teased that luscious mouth, not quite touching as he let the younger man drown in his presence. Finally he kissed him, a slow, devouring kiss that would leave Gill completely breathless and aching for more. John licked at his mouth, then led him toward his car; a shiny red convertible. As he pulled out of the parking lot, he properly introduced himself, "I'm John, what's your name?"

"Gill," the boy answered without hesitation. He reached a hand out and laid it on the other man's thigh. He couldn't keep himself from touching the vampire. He was gorgeous, absolutely amazing. A low groan escaped Gill's throat as he thought of crawling into John's lap and kissing him until he couldn't catch his breath anymore. "You live close? Need you..." He didn't know why he wanted John with such desperate force, but he did. Every ounce of desire he'd failed to feel at the idea of Arthur's touch the night before was racing through his veins for John.

"It's not far," John assured him. It excited him to find how easy Gill was to glamor. He glanced down at the warm hand resting on his thigh, reaching for it and pressing it against his swelling crotch. Proud of his extraordinary girth, John wanted to give Gill a taste of what he had to look forward to. "Gill, huh? Pretty name for a pretty boy." His condo was further into town, which made the anticipation of getting the mortal alone that much sweeter. "Tell me; do you hang out at the club often?"

Gill let out a soft sound of pleasure as he unashamedly felt the other man up. "Yeah, all the time," he agreed without any hesitation or shame. "Don't like being at home. Besides, I like getting bitten, so... makes sense." Normally Gill would have been at least a little more reserved, but he found that whatever filter usually held him back was gone. "Can I suck you off while we drive?" he asked abruptly.

Gill was the hottest little fang-banger John had ever encountered, and he was more than willing to indulge him. He unbuttoned his pants, opened the zipper and fished out his massive arousal without taking his other hand off the steering wheel. "It's all yours, beautiful," the vampire purred. Grabbing the back of Gill's head, he pulled the boy forward until his face was buried in his groin.

Gill gladly licked the head of the beautiful cock in front of his face. He parted his lips and dipped down, John's length filling his mouth. His jaw began to ache almost at once, but he didn't stop. The desire was overwhelming, consuming him like nothing he'd ever felt before. Gill needed to feel John's cock bumping against the back of his throat. He needed to take it all, couldn't wait to have the man fucking him even though he'd known him for a grand total of ten minutes.

"Your mouth's so fucking sweet, baby," John praised, awed by how eagerly Gill devoured his swollen cock. Those silky lap wrapped around his girth sent shivers of pleasure coursing through the vampire, who nearly lost control of the car. Tamping his speed, he reached down and tangled his fingers in Gill's blond hair. John groaned, unable to resist the urge to thrust up into that warm, wet space. He was utterly heedless of choking the boy, especially when Gill wanted it so much. If the mortal's mouth felt this amazing, then he couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to fuck him.

Gill didn't protest. He choked slightly as John pushed back toward the back of his throat; he couldn't stop himself. But he took it all the next time John's hips moved. He could feel the car speeding along and hoped they were almost there. It was too far, too long, and eventually Gill pulled off with a low groan. "Can we... we stop somewhere? Need you," he murmured, tongue trailing along the man's stiff cock again.

"Yeah, we... we can do that," John replied, clearly shaken by the intense pleasure he was receiving. He pulled off the road, and found a secluded little spot amongst the trees. Shutting off the car, the vampire gave Gill his full attention. "Back seat?" he suggested, manhandling the mortal before he had a chance to react. John swarmed all over Gill, devouring his mouth with a forcefulness that was almost frightening.

Gill didn't protest in the slightest, his body surging up against John's. He was desperate, hungry for anything that John was willing to give him as they shifted together. His lips parted, and he tried to taste everything at once, to devour John the way he wanted the vampire to devour him. He needed it. There was something itching at the back of his mind, something he didn't want to remember, and Gill knew that somehow John could push it away for him.

John wrenched at Gill's clothing until the mortal was resplendently naked beneath him. Salivating at the sight of him, the vampire lunged forward and closed his lips around a plump nipple while, at the same time, closing his hand around Gill's thick cock. As he nursed, he stroked, wanting to hear the alluring fang-banger moan with desire. "Don't hold back," John murmured against his chest. "Touch me, want me..." His tongue swirled around the stiff bud before drawing his attention to the other. "I'm yours tonight..."

Gill nodded and thrust hard up against John's body. "Want you to fuck me... want you... inside me... god, fuck..." His fingers were fisted in John's hair, and nothing seemed like enough. The man's words combined with the glamour had left Gill a writhing ball of need. He could think of nothing but how badly he wanted to be claimed utterly and completely by the man. His cock leaked steadily as he rubbed himself unashamedly against John to get at least a touch of friction. "Want you to fuck me... drink me... be yours... just yours..."

John hadn't truly realized how thirsty he was until Gill started to plead to be fucked and bitten. His fangs appeared as he gazed down at the mortal, who was beautifully flushed with arousal. "I'll give you everything you need," he promised, swiping his tongue across Gill's throat. John wrenched himself free of the boy with a groan, peeling off his own clothing until he was as naked and wanting as Gill. His prodigious length jutted out before him, and he relished the raw lust that darkened Gill's eyes at the sight of it. "Is this what you want?" he purred, teasing him.

"Yes," Gill answered, already reaching out to give John a long stroke that just made him hotter. The man had an amazing cock. The fact that taking it was likely to hurt without some proper lubrication didn't matter in the moment. Desire clouded out every other thought in Gill's mind as he shifted to wrap his legs around John's thighs. "Want it now... c'mon... want you..."

The glamor would not have had such a potent effect if Gill wasn't so naturally needy. It thrilled John, who shuddered in the mortal's heated grasp. "Alright, pretty, you can have it... you can have anything you want." Tugging himself free with a groan, the vampire eased back and grasped Gill's ankles. Lifting his legs and bending them back, John was afforded an unfettered view of the boy's mouthwatering backside. "Sweet, sweet butt..." He dove in, nipping at the firm round cheeks before swabbing his tongue over the trench and playing at Gill's twitching opening.

Gill groaned, obviously pleased at John's indulgence. The long, sure swipes of the man's tongue were delicious in and of themselves, but even better was the thought that they would prepare him to take every inch of John. "Yeah, open me up," Gill murmured, swimming in pleasure and totally lost in the glamour.

John went wild, lavishing Gill's writhing body with wickedly focused attention. His long tongue drilled inside the mortal's tight ring, stretching him open with his skilled oral muscle alone. Gill smelled incredible and tasted even better. The way the boy moved sinuously beneath him was a massive turn-on for the vampire, who relished the feverish heat radiating off Gill's frame. Drawing back after a long moment, John planted a decadent kiss on Gill's panting mouth before slowly easing a finger into his twitching opening.

Gill's hips were immediately pressing back and trying to take every last bit he could of the wriggling digit. They were just starting, but it still didn't feel like enough. It still didn't seem like nearly enough to have the man's hands on him, enough to feel his body slowly stretching to accommodate the touch. "God, I want you inside me. I want you..." He didn't care if he looked or sounded desperate because desperate was precisely what he felt like.

"You're beautiful like this," John whispered, pressing kisses along each of Gill's quivering inner thighs. "So hot and bothered. Bet you'd like to get dirty, wouldn't you?" If the mortal's reaction to his glamour was anything to go by, then the answer to his question was most definitely an affirmative. Breaching Gill's grasping ring with a second finger, the vampire began to scissor and saw his way deeper inside, effectively stretching him open. "I'm gonna make you cum so hard," John promised, swiping his tongue along Gill's flexing cock. "Then, when we get back to my place, we'll do it all over again."

"Yeah... please? Can't wait anymore, baby. Just do it. Just fuck me," Gill pleaded as he felt John's cool lips against his skin, the man's tongue on his cock. "Gonna cum, and I want you inside me when I cum. I want to feel you fucking me when I finally cum." He didn't care where they went or what John wanted to do with him, he just cared about the man doing everything he needed in the moment. Gill never had been good at anything but indulgence, taking what he needed when he needed it.

Although it was mostly the glamour talking, hearing those words spilling from Gill's lovely mouth turned John on wildly. "Mmm, what a hot little slut you are," the vampire groaned approvingly. He was already shifting himself into position, taking himself in hand and teasing the mortal's puckered rosebud with the tip of his enormous cock. With a tortuous pace John began to ease his way inside the grasping furnace of Gill's eager little ass. The slick walls closed around him at once, alternately drawing him in and trying to expel him. "That's it... take it... take my cock..." Inch after inch sank into Gill's body until the older man was completely buried inside of the boy. John didn't allow Gill a moment to get used to the intrusion, instead he began to thrust with a hearty groan of pleasure.

Gill didn't want slow and sweet. He needed raw and hot and immediate, and John was giving him exactly that. As he desperately worked his hips to keep up with the pace, Gill let his eyes close. He found his focus drifting unconsciously to memory. The change only intensified his desire, and Gill moaned, "Fuck.. Mike, fuck me," without ever noticing that he'd used the wrong name.

John found himself lost in pleasure from the increasingly needy mortal, whose body seemed to fairly swallow his aching cock inside. He was so far-gone, in fact, that he only vaguely heard another man's name spilling from Gill's panting mouth. When realization slammed into the vampire, his thrusts paused and an expression of anger seized his handsome features. He smacked the boy's face harshly, growling, "John. My name is John. Say it. Say my name, you little slut!"

Though he looked half-confused, Gill answered, "John," his ears ringing with the force of the blow. Only as his head began to clear did he realize what he'd said. He'd been thinking about Mike. Just like with Arthur... just like before he... He'd been trying to forget Mike. /Guess that didn't work very well./ The mortal let out a whine and wrapped his legs around John's hips as best he could in the close quarters. "Fuck me, John... fuck me harder," he pleaded, desperate to make it up to the man and not be left on his own again.

"That's it... that's a good boy," John purred, kissing the angry red mark his hand print had left behind. His glamour had been so powerful that the vampire would have sworn that Gill had gotten off on the abuse. /Interesting.../ Thrusting harder, faster, John pumped his massive cock into the mortal's willing body. Each stroke over the boy's sweet spot enriched his scent, driving the wildly aroused undead creature even crazier. His hand dove into Gill's hair, which had grown warm and damp with exertion, his fingers carding in the silken threads. With a growl, he wrenched Gill's head to the side exposing his throat. John offered his neck a long, teasing lick. "Do you still want me to bite you? Drink you? Hmm?"

With every second, Gill was getting closer to climax, and he knew that a bite would finish him. The touch of John's tongue alone left him shuddering. "Yes! Yes... fuck, yes... yes, bite me... drink..." His hips worked feverishly to keep John moving inside him even as the man's attention shifted somewhat. He needed something or someone who could help him obliterate Mike from his mind. The vampire didn't really want him, hadn't wanted him before and certainly wouldn't want him now. Gill didn't even know what he was, but he doubted it was anything good. "Please?"

"Such a dirty little boy," he purred, churning his hips and driving forcefully against Gill's prostate. "Since you asked so sweetly, of course I'll drink you..." John's fangs appeared, glinting in the moonlight. Kissing Gill's panting mouth until the mortal was gasping for air, the vampire broke contact only to lunge forward and latch his mouth on that tempting throat. Slicing into the sensitive flesh, blood poured over his lips... It was _different_ and not at all what he had expected to taste. There was something... off about it.

Utterly unaware that anything was strange, Gill arched and cried out his pleasure. It was exactly what he'd needed. The sharp edge of pain combined with the blissful pleasure of John's cock rubbing against his prostate unraveled the boy perfectly. He came hard and bucked up against the vampire's cool, muscular form as his cock pulsed between them. Not even the cramped quarters of the back seat did anything to take the edge off that delicious moment.

John drew back with a gasp, his mouth ringed with blood as Gill shuddered through a devastating climax. Hot seed splashed against him, and any strangeness about the taste of the boy momentarily dissipated as Gill flared around his pistoning length. The vampire thrust harder, faster, nearly shaking the back seat of his convertible loose with the force of his desire. He came with a suddenness that surprised him, trembling violently as his swollen cock burst with ecstasy deep inside the mortal's willing body.

By the time they were both spent, Gill was gasping for breath. "Still wanna take me home?" he panted hopefully. After the slip up, Gill knew he was probably on thin ice, but he didn't want to be alone. "Still a lot of fun we can have together..." His hands ran up over the vampire's bare back. "I'll do anything you want."

John was still reeling from the devastating climax, as well as the lingering taste of Gill's blood. His fangs retracted as he gazed down at the wanton mortal, his curiosity suitably piqued. "Of course," he replied, pleased over the boy's hunger for him. "I'm not ready to give you up just yet." /Besides, I want to find out what's so different about you.../ John leaned forward again, nipping at Gill's kiss-swollen mouth before licking it.

Elsewhere, Mike haunted the darkened streets more than walked them. His grief was like a crushing weight, threatening to debilitate him. How could he feel such sorrow over someone he'd barely known? In one night he had fallen hard for Gill, and the thought of never seeing again brought on another deep pang of sadness and regret. Then, the oddest thing happened. Mike smelled Gill. It had happened once before, when he and Damien were heading to his apartment. Mike had passed it off as a figment of his imagination. But now, there was the mortal's aroma again, and the vampire knew it wasn't just wishful thinking. A blur of supernatural speed, Mike raced toward the source of the scent, and came to a halt beside a convertible parked off-road. There, in the backseat with another vampire, was Gill. Mike simply could not believe his eyes. "Gill?" he whispered.

Gill scrambled back from John, his gaze moving to the window. Mike wasn't the only one stunned. He stared at the Asian vampire as if he was sure to turn out to be a mirage, a figment of his hopeful imagination. He'd seen the man earlier, after all, going off with someone else. But there he was. Gill's hear lurched in his chest, and before he could even consider how his companion might react, Gill lunged for the door, opening it and throwing his arms around Mike's neck. He knew he smelled like sex and blood, but he didn't care. Maybe Mike didn't really want to see him at all, had just recognized him and reacted. But... but even then, Gill knew he wouldn't regret holding him for just a few seconds more. "I waited... I waited, and you didn't come and..." The memory of the pain and fear, of pleading for mercy for the first time, rushed back in an instant.

"How?" Mike whispered, embracing Gill and holding onto him as if the mortal might disappear. "How is this even possible? You were... dead." He finally drew back and gazed searchingly into Gill's eyes. It was a miracle, even if Mike didn't believe in them. His eyes swam with blood as tears began to well and threatened to spill over. "I... found you in the alley, and... you were gone. I buried you... I buried you with my own hands." Mike was openly shaking, uncertain of anything and everything.

John wasn't particularly thrilled over his glamour seemingly breaking, nor the irritating interruption. Then, he watched the scene with a sort of strange amusement only to find himself growing more curious over the other vampire's statement. /Dead, now alive again?/ Did that explain the strange taste of Gill's blood? Leaping from the back seat of his car, John reached for the boy's arm and wrenched him away from Mike. "This is all very touching," be broke in, "but if you hadn't noticed, we're busy right now."

"We're not," Gill argued, "not anymore." It had been Mike. Mike had found him, taken care of him in the only way anyone could have. His heart swelled at the thought, at the realization that the vampire hadn't actually abandoned him the way he'd feared. Feeling John's arms biting in harder to his arm, Gill wheeled. His back to Mike, there was an immediate change to the mortal's eyes. The irises went from vibrant blue to inky black. "Let go."

John had never been one to give up his prey. But something about Gill suddenly... frightened him. The way in which his gaze suddenly darkened and became threatening. "Fine, go ahead," he relented, letting go of the... mortal's?... arm. "You're only good for a fuck anyway." John shoved Gill back toward Mike, and turned on his heel, getting back into his convertible. He tossed the boy's clothes out onto the street before revving the engine and taking off into the night.

Mike, still reeling from the discovery that Gill was alive, embraced him again. "That's not true; what he said. You're so much more than that." Caressing his hair, the Asian vampire drew back and gazed in awe at Gill. "I... still can't believe it. You're really here, aren't you? I'm not just dreaming this?"

Eyes normal once again, Gill looked back at Mike with the same sort of fascination. "Yeah. I... don't get it. I woke up and... and I dug my way out and..." He shook his head and ducked away to grab his clothing, pulling his jeans on to make himself decent in the event that anyone else happened by. "I didn't know it was you... that you... were the one who... who buried me." The thought made Gill shudder, and he pressed himself into Mike's arms again. "I thought you weren't gonna come back."

"When I thought you were... gone, I've never felt so lost," Mike whispered into Gill's hair. He smelled a little different, but the same rich aroma was there. "My sire found me and he was worried, so he took me home." The Asian vampire shuddered, the grief still raw despite Gill being in his arms again. "I'm glad he did, but... if I'd known you..." He couldn't bear the thought of Gill waking up in the ground and having to claw his way out. It was normal for a vampire, but for a mortal it had to be terrifying. "I'm sorry, Gill... You were dead, and I didn't know what else to do."

Gill actually laughed against Mike's neck. "Your sire... I saw the two of you, I just thought..." It had been stupid, but he'd been so hurt and so scared already that it had seemed inevitable that Mike had already found someone else. The vampire's cool skin and the night air made Gill shiver, but he didn't want to stop holding the man long enough to get his shirt on again. "I don't know what happened. I don't know why I'm..." He swallowed, not daring to look at the man's face as he whispered, "Can I stay with you? Please?"

"Of course." Mike wouldn't have had it any other way. If he were honest about it, he was actually scared to let Gill out of his sight again. He'd failed the mortal once, and he wasn't about to do it again. When he drew back to gaze into Gill's eyes again, he noticed the angry red hand mark blemishing his face. "Did he hurt you?" It was a stupid question. Mike could recognize the signs of a glamour. If he hadn't found Gill, there was no telling what that other vampire might have done to him. Almost at once, Mike pierced a finger with his fangs and smeared the blood over Gill's cheek. The results were instantaneous; the mark disappeared.

Though Gill had hardly noticed the pain, he found an immediate relief when it disappeared. "That's better," he assured, still keeping as close to Mike as he could. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry I was so stupid," he whispered, eyes locked on his own feet. If he hadn't been so rash, hadn't assumed the worst the night before, things might've been different. He wouldn't have been with Arthur, wouldn't have died, would never have let John touch him. Gill rubbed the back of his arms with his hands and felt the overwhelming shame of his own weakness welling up. His parents were right - he was useless.

"No, you weren't," Mike said, embracing Gill that much tighter. "I'm sorry I was so late. I couldn't wait to see you again, but..." He trailed off, flashing back on the horrific memory of finding the mortal drained of blood and discarded in the alley. Mike shuddered, closing his eyes as if to push the images out of his mind. "Gill, you don't have to ever go back to the club," he was firm on the matter. "Just stay with me, please? I'll give you anything you want." The Asian vampire meant it even if it did sound crazy. He and Gill barely knew each other, and yet he couldn't let him go-not again. Mike tipped Gill's chin up and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

Gill melted against the other man. When their lips parted again, he nodded. "I want to. I want to stay with you." Realistically, he knew that Mike would probably tire of him - more likely sooner than later - but he wanted every second he could have. "Can we go now? Little chilly," he finally admitted, "and I could use a shower." With the glamour broken, he felt sick over the idea that he'd let the man touch him, order his affections so easily. He had wanted to forget, so he'd given into the glamour with gusto. "I don't anybody but you touching me. I know you might need, y'know... more sometimes, but... I won't go with anybody else, I promise." It was a promise he had never made to anyone else or even thought of making.

"Hey, it's alright," Mike soothed, brushing his fingers through Gill's warm, damp hair. "Don't worry. Let's get you home." Without even waiting for a reaction, the Asian vampire effortlessly gathered the mortal up in his arms and carried him with supernatural speed back to his apartment. Once inside, Mike gently set Gill down on the sofa and turned on a light. As he turned back to look at him, Mike still couldn't believe that Gill was really there and not a ghost. He fixed him a glass of water before quickly texting Damien to let him know he wouldn't be back tonight. "I know you want to take a shower," he murmured, sinking down beside Gill. "But can I hold you for a little while longer?"

"Yeah." Gill swallowed hard and took a few gulping swallows of water before setting it aside and curling up tight against Mike instead. The vampire's cool flesh might not have offered any physical warmth, but it warmed the mortal from the inside out just the same. He hadn't realized how desperately he needed the closeness until he had it. Tears threatened again, and Gill fought them back. "I didn't think I'd see you again. When I woke up, I didn't know what was happening, why... I still don't know." He sighed and rested his forehead on Mike's neck, his arms winding around the vampire's waist. "What's wrong with me?"

"I don't think there's anything wrong with you," Mike countered, soaking in the warmth of Gill's body. "You're back and that's all that matters to me." The guilt he felt over leaving Gill buried threatened to crush him. If he had had any idea... No, he couldn't think about that now. Especially when there was simply no explaining Gill's resurrection. "I'm serious about you staying here with me," he affirmed, caressing Gill's arm. "This is your home now." After another long moment of embracing the mortal, Mike urged him off the sofa and led him into the bathroom. "Are you hungry? I could get you something while you're in the shower."

"Yeah... that would be good," Gill agreed after a second's hesitation. "Maybe... maybe tomorrow I'll go get my stuff." It was just a few articles of clothing and some cds, but if he was going to be gone from home, he wanted it to be a clean break. He couldn't imagine going back there after everything had happened. The idea made him edgy. He opened his mouth to ask Mike if he was sure but decided that he wouldn't be able to take it if Mike changed his mind anyway. Shutting up instead, Gill drifted into the bathroom that was a lot nicer than the truck stop he'd used to get himself decently clean earlier in the day. The hot water and soap that smelled of Mike combined to soothe away the aches - both mental and physical - for at least a few minutes. By the time Gill emerged, he felt a million times more relaxed and wrapped a towel around his waist instead of putting his dirty clothes back on as he padded out of the bathroom.

Although he loathed the idea of leaving Gill again, Mike forced himself to make a quick trip to an all-night fast food joint which had opened near The Last Drop. Hamburger, onion rings and a soda would have to do for tonight. At least until he could go shopping. It felt good taking care of someone, especially when that someone happened to be Gill. He continued to find himself in a state of confused awe over the mortal's return. But it was such a gift to have Gill back that Mike didn't want to question it out of fear of something else happening. When he returned, the Asian vampire had to bite back a groan of desire finding the mortal glistening wet and wearing only a towel. "I... I hope you like this," he faltered, setting the drink and the bag of food down.

"I'm not a picky eater," Gill assured. He sat down and dug into the fast food with apparent relish. He hadn't realized just how hungry he was until he saw the food. It tasted absolutely amazing on an empty stomach, and Gill realized only after that he was being a little rude. "Thank you. Really. This is perfect. Guess I was pretty hungry. I hadn't eaten since... uh..." He gestured vaguely without really illustrating what he meant, but they both knew. Since he died. "I don't know what happened. I don't. One minute I was passing out, then I was underground." Gill continued eating though at a slightly more measured pace. "It doesn't make sense."

Mike sank down on the floor, simply enjoying watching Gill eat. When he brought up the subject of his resurrection again, Mike couldn't help but frown. "I know, it doesn't," he agreed, reaching out to caress Gill's leg with a soothing touch. "I've never heard of anyone coming back the way you did." Indeed, the more he thought about it, the more strange the whole incident became. "Maybe we can look into it. But not tonight. Tonight, I'm just grateful to have you back." He smiled softly, adding, "We barely know each other, and I'm absolutely crazy about you."

"Crazy for being crazy about me," Gill corrected, though he was smiling right back. He didn't get the idea of anyone being attached to him. The people who were supposed to be - his family - certainly hadn't ever felt that way. If Mike hadn't found him, the honest truth was that his body might have gone entirely unclaimed. He didn't have a license or anything else to prove his identity, and his family would never have looked if he suddenly disappeared. /They won't look,/ he corrected himself. "So maybe you should get to know me a little. I mean, what d'ya want to know? I show you mine, you show me yours, all that crap. I want to know too."

"Well, since I became a vampire, I haven't thought much about my old life," Mike confessed, still caressing Gill's leg. "Before I was in high school, played football, sang and danced in glee club..." He glanced up, continuing, "Tonight, I ran into one of my old classmates." Mike decided to forgo telling Gill that he fed from Finn. He didn't want the mortal to think he'd chosen someone else, even if it was only a matter of sating his thirst. "It was strange... all those memories. I'd pretty much closed the door on them." Smiling softly, he glanced up at Gill. "Damien, my sire, always warned me about getting involved with mortals. He's probably going to be very angry with me, but I can't help wanting you here with me."

Gill paled and looked worried at that bit of news. "He could make you throw me out," he observed, biting his lip. A word from Mike's sire, an order, and the man might not have any choice but to comply. "If he... if he really doesn't like it..." The comfortable sense of certainty that Gill had been feeling was slipping away all at once.

As if on cue, Mike's cell phone buzzed, notifying him that he had a text from Damien: WANT ME TO COME TO U? U SHDNT BE ALONE

Mike immediately texted back: I'M OK. I HAVE COMPANY.

He hoped that would be enough to satisfy Damien. "Don't worry," the Asian vampire assured Gill, "he doesn't need to know you're here." Tossing the phone on the coffee table, Mike straightened and made room to sit beside the mortal on the sofa. He draped an arm across Gill's shoulders, offering him a gentle squeeze. "Besides, I couldn't give you up now even if I tried." Leaning in closer, Mike pressed a soft kiss to his new lover's cheek. "God, I still can't believe you're really here. I can't even begin to understand how it happened, but I'm glad that it did."

Gill curled in at Mike's side with a sigh of pleasure. He let himself relax even if nothing had changed. If Mike's sire found out, he could still be in trouble, could still be thrown out alone with no support. But for now he had Mike, and they were together and he could pretend it was fine. The apartment was a comfortable temperature, and Gill barely noticed as the towel began to slip away. "Don't want you to give up." Most people did. They gave up on him quickly and thoroughly. Somehow he had to find a way to convince Mike that he was worth hanging onto.

Damien considered the text for a moment. He was surprised that Mike had picked someone else up but pleased at the same time. It was a good sign. Maybe seeing Finn had whet his appetite. He quickly typed out CALL IF U NEED ME and relaxed back into the unkempt bed. Maybe the worst was past. Maybe his family was going to hold together after all.

Mike nuzzled Gill's freshly washed hair, which smelled sweet from a combination of his natural aroma and his own shampoo. "That makes two of us," he murmured, pressing tender kisses down along one ear. Another scent hit him-rich and musky-and Mike glanced down to notice that Gill's towel had freed itself. Framed in dark golden curls which still glistened from the shower was Gill's mouthwatering cock and balls. Being a vampire and possessing a heightened state of arousal, Mike couldn't help himself despite not wanting to take advantage of his new lover. Without even realizing it, his elegant fingers settled on Gill's thigh, caressing him. "I'm sorry you were glamoured tonight," he said, his voice low and seductive. "And I'm even more sorry I wasn't there for you."

"S'okay. I'm fine," Gill assured, his breath already catching at the seductive caress. "Better than fine now that I'm here." It honestly didn't matter anymore what had happened with John in the car. He'd let himself be glamoured, had given in without a fight because he'd felt so lost and hopeless. "Just glad you still want me... that you want me here..." A smile turned the corners of Gill's lips upward, and he shifted, pressing himself into Mike's touch. "It's weird how much I like you. It's like... I dunno. It's like we... fit."

"I know what you mean," Mike replied, nuzzling Gill's cheek. He smelled wonderful, although there was something different beneath the rich aroma. Something the Asian vampire could not quite put his finger on. It wasn't unpleasant... just puzzling. Mike filed it away, focusing instead on Gill and luxuriating in the other man's presence. "Last night... when we were together... I could feel it." His palm, warmed from Finn's blood, closed around Gill's swelling arousal. "It's crazy, like you said..." He stroked long and tenderly, adding, "but I feel like we're meant to be together."

Gill nodded, though he was quickly losing the ability to speak coherently as Mike stroked him languidly. As far as he was concerned, what happened with John earlier didn't count. His body had been involved, but his mind hadn't been engaged. He'd been withdrawn into himself to hide from what he really wanted. Now he had precisely what he wanted. "Need you. I do. I need you." Whether it was crazy or not, he was falling hard for the kind, seductive, beautiful vampire whose blood-warmed hands were currently driving him toward the edge.

"I need you too," Mike whispered, relishing the sensation of Gill pulsing in his grasp. Barely an hour ago, he despaired over never being able to touch Gill again. Now, here he was, flushed and pressed tightly against him. And Mike was not about to let him go again. "In fact, I think I know what we both need." With his free hand, the Asian vampire deftly stripped out of his own clothing, and then straddled Gill's lap. He shivered as he teased the glistening tip of Gill's cock along his ass. "Want you to fuck me..." The raw desire thickening his throat was shocking. "...please?"

"Anything," Gill answered firmly. He wouldn't have said no whatever Mike asked for, but that particular option sounded amazing. John hadn't been particularly gentle earlier, and as badly as he wanted to be taken by Mike again, now wasn't the time. If the vampire really meant it about them staying together, there would be other times and other opportunities. He prayed there would be. With a sigh, Gill stretched up to find Mike's lips, kissing him hungrily. "Got some lube someplace? Don't wanna hurt you."

Mike didn't want to move. He loathed the idea of losing even a fraction of the wonderful contact. With an audible groan, the Asian vampire stole one more kiss before scrambling off Gill's lap. He was a blur of supernatural speed as he retrieved a bottle of lube from the bedroom and returned before his lover had a chance to blink twice. "Miss me?" Mike teased, resuming his position. He reached for Gill's hand, pouring a generous amount of the fluid onto his fingers. "Now then, where were we?"

"Right here," Gill answered, chuckling at the vampire's eagerness, at how easy it was for them to be together despite how strange things had gotten. Maybe sometimes things did happen for a reason. Maybe life wasn't just a serious of ridiculous things that sucked. Gill didn't really care either way so long as he got to hang onto Mike as long as possible. His fingers searched for the right spot, finding it blindly, one finger sliding in with ease almost at once. Mike was desperate and relaxed and wanting, and the thought of that drew a low groan from the mortal.

Mike's hands clamped down on Gill's shoulders as his lover's digit began to effortlessly quest inside of him. "I've missed this," he whispered, his eyes darkening with passion. "Missed you... so much..." The pleasure was exquisite, but the contact with Gill's body was even sweeter. He trembled, unable to control the urge to thrust against that long, thick finger. Why wasn't this wrong? By all accounts their being together was insane. They barely knew each other, and yet nearly losing Gill had all but destroyed Mike. He kissed him, deeply and hungrily. Desperation and desire fueled the Asian vampire's actions as he reached between them and closed his hand around Gill's straining arousal. He stroked him languidly, relishing the feel of him, the scent of his lust.

"Mike... fuck..." He knew it wasn't romantic, but Mike hadn't minded his dirty mouth before. Carefully Gill inserted another finger and stretched them apart, prying Mike open a bit more with every movement. "Love the way you feel inside and out." He didn't care what the configuration was, but he knew he wanted to spend as much of the rest of his life as possible being with Mike and learning everything that made him feel good. He prayed that Mike's sire didn't get mad, didn't make him leave. He didn't want that, couldn't tolerate it. "Don't wanna leave you again."

"Not... gonna... let... you," Mike grunted, his body writhing sinuously as he rode Gill's questing fingers. He looped his arms around the blond's neck, embracing him as pleasure wracked his undead frame. His cock, achingly bloated with Finn's borrowed blood, twitched hungrily for attention. "I've never... wanted anyone... as much... as you..." he confessed, whispering close to Gill's ear. Another deep groan and a violent shiver. Mike didn't want to rush the moment, but he was growing ever more desperate to feel Gill inside of him. "You can... have me... any way... you want..."

"Then lemme watch you," Gill answered as he slowly withdrew his fingers and shifted Mike's hips just slightly so that his cock was aligned with the entrance to the man's body instead. "Let me watch you ride me." The way Mike moved watching him doing anything was just this side of an erotic show, but the image of him swiveling his hips and thrusting like something right out of a porno was too much to pass up on. He needed Mike in every way possible, but that definitely sounded like a nice place to start.

Mike very nearly whimpered in protest when Gill's wonderful fingers left his body. Only his lover's heated words soothed him, and the Asian vampire was nodding eagerly. Taking Gill in hand, he slowly lowered himself down. "Yes, oh... god... yes," he hissed, shivering at the brush of the heated crown against his aching opening. Inch after inch sank inside, and Mike relished the burning stretch of Gill's peerless cock splitting him open. He shivered and groaned, not stopping until the other man was buried completely inside of his grasping channel. "There... fuck, yes... oh god..." Mike's eyes flashed with pure bliss as his gaze locked with Gill's. "Never thought... I'd get to... feel you again..."

"Y'can feel me anytime you want now, baby," Gill assured. The feeling of the beautiful vampire riding him was almost too good. For a moment Gill wondered if he wasn't still dead, if he was in his own sort of heaven. But the first moments of pain after he'd come back recurred with stunning clarity, and he knew better. It was real. Gently Gill's hands rubbed up over Mike's smooth back. He stared openly at the view of that muscular form moving over him while Mike's tight ass squeezed his cock like a velvet-covered vice. "Not leaving unless you want me to." Gill knew that the vampire could do better. He'd have his choice of anyone he wanted at the club. /And he wants me./ Gill smiled and stretched upward to try and find the man's lips to kiss him.

Mike groaned into the heated kiss, shuddering as Gill's thick cock brushing over his sweet spot had a potent effect on his undead body. "Never... never want you to... leave," he gasped against his lover's sinfully sweet mouth. Pleasure was heightened for vampires, and even the slightest caress of Gill's fingers left Mike aching and whimpering for more. His movements were poetry in motion, his hips churning gracefully as he rode Gill with an increasing sense of desperation. His own rigid length glistened as precum drooled from the flaring tip. "No one's... ever made me... feel this way," he gasped against panting lips. "No one..."

Gill wondered what Mike's sire would think about that, but he knew not everyone kept up with their sire, nor every sire with their children. The truth was that it wouldn't change how he felt either way. He wanted Mike with a ferocity he'd never known. Even when he'd been reduced to a panting mess before, Gill had never felt like he _needed_any of the vampires who had taken him in the past. "W-will you drink? Please?" He knew he could get off just fine whether Mike bit him or not, but his desire went deeper than that. Gill needed that concrete proof that Mike was still willing to lay claim to him.

Mike almost refused, only because Gill had already been bitten earlier in the night and he feared sampling too much. Harming Gill was not in the equation. But the desperation in his lover's voice fueled the Asian vampire's renewed hunger, and Mike was fisting Gill's hair, exposing his lovely throat. Kissing his way along the curve, Mike continued to churn his hips and grind Gill's beautiful cock deeper and deeper inside of his body. The pleasure was incredible, and added to the rich scent of desire wafting from Gill, it nearly drove Mike into a frenzy. His fangs emerged and he embraced Gill as he sliced into his tempting throat. Blood rushed into his mouth, and as Mike started to drink, he detected something... different. Gill tasted wonderful, only there was a hint of something new, something he couldn't quite fathom. Too distracted from the dual sensations of love-making and feeding, Mike filed the mystery away for later.

Gill let out an incoherent sound of pleasure that might have been Mike's name as he clutched the back of the vampire's head with one hand and his hip with the other. No one had a right to be so sexy, but somehow Mike managed just the same. He was gorgeousness personified, and the way he moved was probably a felony in some states it was so hot. The blond thrust upward as hard as he could, ramming himself home with abandon. It wasn't as hard or as fast as he would have liked, but the restraint of the position added something. He wasn't in control despite the fact that he was fucking Mike. It was sort of hot knowing that his lover determined when they got off, when the pleasure building up inside could finally overflow.

Gill's warm, rich blood filled Mike's mouth to overflowing. The Asian vampire moaned softly as he writhed against his lover, his hips grinding, churning Gill's amazing cock deep inside of his body. A hot blooming cloud of ecstasy surrounded Mike as he gasped against that delicious throat. His lips and cheeks were smeared with Gill's blood as he sucked the other man's tongue between his lips. He whimpered and undulated, arching against Gill and shuddering as his own engorged length brushed against that flat stomach. "Fuck me..." Mike rasped, his eyes glazed and again locked with Gill's. "Fuck me hard... and make me cum..."

Gill groaned and grabbed the vampire's hips. He managed in one quick move to slam Mike back onto the couch cushions. The sight of the blood coating his lover's mouth did nothing to dampen Gill's appetite. He slammed home into the beautiful man over and over again. Though he ached to let go and fill Mike up, he held back. /Not yet... not until he's ready too... not yet.../ Reaching down, Gill gripped his lover's cock and began to jerk it in shaky tempo along with his thrusts. "I need to feel you cum. Can you do that for me? Gimme every last drop, and then I'm gonna lick it up."

Gill's new-found bold, dominant streak excited Mike wildly. He couldn't remember the last time he had been fucked with such urgency. Moaning as Gill's eager cock jack-hammered into his aching ass, the Asian vampire's fingers sank into the firm, round moons of his lover's thrusting ass. Gill's heated words, coupled with the insistent stroking over his sensitive prostate, sent Mike to the point of no return. He exploded in a wrenching orgasm, raggedly crying out Gill's name. His body quivered and strained, his cock spurting delectably as violent spasms wracked his frame. Mike's lips were on Gill's throat again, sucking and tonguing the fang marks in a soft, loving rhythm. "Yes!" he gasped, "oh yes... cum for me... please, cum..."

Glad for the command since he wasn't sure he could stop anyway, Gill still as his cock erupted into the too-perfect squeeze of Mike's ass. The hot cum filled the other man and slid out as he withdrew and thrust again and again until Gill's cock finally began to soften. He sighed and slowly withdrew only to pull Mike close against him again. He needed to be close to the vampire every bit as much as he'd needed to get off. Cumming was only part of the fun. "You don't... don't hafta say anything, but... I think I'm falling in love with you."

Mike purred like a kitten as he relished Gill's warm embrace. "I know the feeling," he replied, pressing a tender kiss to his lover's warm, damp head. "Last night... I wanted to say something, but I thought I was going crazy. Then again, love does make you a little bit insane." He chuckled softly, trailing his fingers up and down the length of Gill's spine. "This was perfect. God, I still can't believe you're hear with me." A smile lit up his handsome features as a sudden thought occurred to him. "Would you like to drink from me? I've tasted your blood, and it's only fair..."

Gill couldn't help licking his lips at the thought. "Really? Are you... if you're sure... I... yeah." The thought got his pulse racing all over again. It had been good tasting Arthur as much because he needed the healing as anything else. But tasting Mike... that was about a lot more than just getting back on his feet. The idea of sharing that new intimacy made him cling that much more tightly to the vampire. "If you really want to, I definitely want to." He knew that with repeated exchanges over time, a bond could be formed even if the mortal involved wasn't turned, and the thought of it appealed to him more than a little. He could belong to Mike.

"I really want you to," Mike affirmed, baring his throat. He reached up and scratched two lines into his neck with his fingernails, which were sharp enough to break the skin. Rich, dark fluid streamed from the wounds, and Mike cradled the back of Gill's head, drawing him in closer and urging him to drink. He had never shared his blood with another before, and there was no one he wanted to feed from him more than Gill. "Please?" he whispered, trembling with anticipation.

Gill leaned forward and licked his tongue along the line of the man's neck. He could taste the salt of sweat along the skin that melted into the sharper, coppery taste of blood. "God, Mike," he breathed as not just the flavor but the feeling of it exploded into his mouth. There was more than just the flavor of the blood on his tongue. It was like he could taste the man himself, could feel Mike flowing down his throat as he sucked hard at the shallow wound. Finally Gill let up, licking still at the torn flesh. Already it was knitting itself neatly back together beneath his tongue. "Tastes like you... sweet and beautiful..."

Mike shuddered and groaned, overwhelmed by the intense sensation of Gill feeding passionately from him. Sharing this moment with him was so special that the Asian vampire fairly ached, and his toes curled in pleasure. With one hand still cupping the back of Gill's head, Mike fondled his lover's gorgeous ass with the other. It still seemed like a dream having the other man back in his arms. And Mike might have believed this was a figment of his imagination if it hadn't even for the firm warmth of Gill's body pressed against him. "I want you to be _mine_," he whispered meaningfully. "Will you, please?"

"That's all I want," Gill answered, his warm breath against the vampire's neck as they held each other tightly. "That's... that's everything I want." It struck him again that it could be a dangerous game to play making such promises without speaking to Mike's sire first, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything that might put a stop to the line of thought. "I just want you. Tomorrow I'll get my stuff from the house and then I'm never going back there. I'll be here with you."

Mike melted into Gill, embracing him and basking in the warmth of his body. It felt so good to simply lay there and hold him that the Asian vampire was heedless of the time. It would be dawn soon, and sleep would keep him apart from Gill. "Why don't we move to the bed?" he suggested after a long moment. Damien had been very good to both himself and Blaine, installing special blinds in their apartments to keep the harmful rays of the sun out. At least he and Gill could sleep together.

"Definitely," Gill agreed at once. It took awhile before they could pull apart from one another long enough to make it there, but as soon as he sank into the mattress, Gill realized just how exhausted he was. He knew he'd need to make a trip during the day to get his things, but a little nap first wouldn't hurt anything. Tired and happy after one of the strangest days and nights of his life, Gill drifted off with Mike's arms curled around him.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**Author's Notes:** More Finn and Kurt brotherly sweetness, plus some glee club time. And me fulfilling my burning desire for Kurt to sing Adam Lambert.

One step outside of Damien's apartment and the ache Finn felt for the vampire nearly catapulted him back inside the door. It was as if he and Damien were joined by some invisible thread, which tugged at him with an insistent desperation. Instead of dissipating the further Finn walked away, the sensation only seemed to grow that much stronger. He regretted Damien not being able to feed from him. Maybe if he had, then Finn might have been more at ease with the separation. He reached up and absently traced the fang marks Mike had left. And Finn realized he hadn't processed the idea that his friend was now one of the undead. His every thought was filled with Damien, and knowing that he wouldn't be able to see him for a while tore the jock up inside.

Lightheaded and exhausted, Finn stumbled toward his house and found both the front porch light on and one illuminating the living room. He swayed on his feet, fishing out his key and stumbling through the door. His legs turned to jelly, and Finn fell to his knees and pitched forward onto the carpet with a groan.

Kurt was up from the couch like a shot had been fired. He flung aside the blanket he'd been huddled under and bolted to the door. Despite Finn being face-first on the carpet, it was a vast relief to see that not only was he home but he'd made his way inside at least by himself. It was a good sign. "Finn?" Kurt knelt and gently tugged and pulled until he managed to get Finn onto his back. He was pale, and there were fresh bite marks on his neck, but he looked otherwise unharmed, and Kurt said a silent prayer of thanks for that. He didn't have much more color in his own cheeks, and his eyes were still red from crying most of the night. "Finn, let's get you upstairs." Then he could tell his dad and Carol that Finn was home and mostly safe, the police could be notified... and then, Kurt realized, he had absolutely no idea what he was going to do with himself.

Finn nodded mutely, allowing Kurt to help him to his room. His head swam and it took a monumental effort to force his seemingly boneless limbs into action. Even though he was back home, Finn's mind was elsewhere. The palpable ache of being separated from Damien clawed and tore at him. How would be be able to make it through the next few days without seeing him? A soft groan escaped his lips as he tumbled into his bed. It was close to morning, and as if he were in tune with the vampire he longed for, Finn felt the inexorable pull of sleep. Without a single word to Kurt, he closed his eyes and drifted away.

Though it would have been better if he could have eaten something, sleep would do Finn good too. Kurt tried to ignore the way his heart hammered in his chest as he made his way down the hall and knocked on his father's door. At the sound of Carol's soft voice, he opened it. "Finn's back," he reported, and the smile on the woman's face went miles toward making him feel less wretched. Because that was the important thing, wasn't it? Finn's safe return? "He's asleep. He's... he was bitten again, but he... I think he's okay."

Burt visibly relaxed at the news, although worry continued to crease his brow. "Are you sure he's okay?" he asked, struggling to sit up. Carol placed a calming hand on her husband's shoulder. Burt glanced up at her, insisting, "We have to call the police, get Finn to the hospital."

"Shh," Carol soothed, "I'll go and check on him and let the cops know he's back." She turned to her stepson. "Kurt, will you stay with your father?"

Kurt nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?" In the wake of his relief, Kurt was beginning to feel the gnawing pain set in once more. Everything had changed so quickly for the better in his life only to have all of the hope and love that had flooded in torn away just as quickly. He had to swallow to keep from letting the whimper building up inside escape. He couldn't let his father see the pain. Burt had enough on his mind, was far too stressed out already. Hurt though he was by his father's wishes, Kurt didn't want to lose the only real family he had left either.

"I feel better knowing Finn's home," Burt replied, still looking anxious. He noted the distress in his son's eyes, despite Kurt trying his best to hide it from him. As badly as he wanted to give him anything he wanted, being with a vampire was where Burt Hummel drew the line. His reasons were many, even if he couldn't express them to Kurt. Even if it meant risking his son hating him, Burt would make any sacrifice in order to keep him safe. "Kurt," he started, only to break off when Carol returned.

"I called an ambulance," she explained hurriedly. "Finn's pulse is weak, and I'm not taking any chances." Carol turned to her stepson. "Will you stay here and look after your father? I'll call as soon as I know your brother's okay."

"There's something I want to tell you, but Carol made me promise not to." It was the closest Burt could get to telling Kurt the truth without going into detail about their own lives. "I feel like I'm betraying her in a way, Kurt." He paused, then sighed heavily. "And I wouldn't share this unless I thought it was absolutely necessary." Squeezing his son's hand, Burt confided, "Finn's father was pretty messed up after the war. He got into a bad scene that ultimately led to his death." It was difficult relating all of this to Kurt, despite the fact that the two of them could talk about almost anything. "Kurt, he was killed by vampires."

Kurt's jaw dropped. He almost asked if Finn knew, but he already knew the answer to that. Of course he didn't. They wouldn't tell Finn that. Finn worshipped his father, loved him despite never having had the chance to really know him. "I... had no idea." Of course Carol was frantic. Of course his father was worried, protective at the idea that he might get involved in something similar. No amount of him telling him that Blaine could be trusted would really make it true for Burt after what he'd seen and been through. That realization came with a crushing certainty, and Kurt realized that he'd been hoping with time his father might get used to the idea and soften his views on vampires. "I won't tell Finn, don't worry." His voice sounded hollow even to his own ears, but Kurt lacked the energy to put anymore force behind the words.

"Thank you, Kurt," Burt replied, settling back into bed. "Carol never wanted you or your brother to know." There was so much more he wanted to relate to his son, but Burt couldn't. He just had to hope that learning about Finn's father's demise would help Kurt understand the danger he was in. Closing his eyes to rest, Burt remained aware of his son remaining by his side. Only the ringing of the telephone disturbed his rest. It was Carol. Burt felt a pang of guilt hearing his wife's voice and not being able to physically be there for her. "Finn needs a transfusion," he related the news to Kurt. "They're going to keep him overnight, then let him come home tomorrow."

Kurt nodded. He could feel the weight of the day crushing in on him, and it was hard not to cry. "Can I stay with you tonight?" he asked, sounding for all the world as if he was closer to six than to eighteen. But it had all been far, far too hard. It was one thing staying away from Blaine. Kurt could do that for his father, for his family. He just didn't think he'd ever be able to stop loving Blaine, and that weight was already becoming too heavy to bear. The thought of lying in the dark alone was too much.

"Course you can, buddy." Although Burt was relieved that his revelation about Finn's father had opened Kurt's eyes to the danger he was in, he hated having to hurt his son in order to get through to him. He hoped and prayed that Kurt could meet some nice _normal _guy. Someone who would treat him right, love him him, and take his mind completely off of those damn vampires. Reaching for the remote, Burt switched on the TV and there was Sue Sylvester campaigning against the "undead menace." /Never thought I'd agree with that woman.../ He quickly changed the channel, settling for a mindless sitcom. "Don't worry. I'll be okay, and so will your brother."

Kurt eventually dropped off from sheer exhaustion. Despite the late hour, he knew he couldn't tolerate just staying at home, so instead Kurt got himself ready and made his way to school. He felt and looked far less put together than normal, but at least he was there. Kurt didn't even bother to try to hide the wounds on his neck. Maybe he wouldn't ever get to see Blaine again, but that didn't mean he was any less proud to have been with the man. Besides, news of what he and Finn had been up to was already spreading through the school like wildfire.

Kurt pointedly ignored the whispering and was immensely grateful when Mercedes fell into step beside him. She didn't say a word, just slid her arm through his and offered a warm smile. By the time they reached the choir room, Kurt felt ready to collapse despite having only suffered through half the day, but it helped to have his friend there and supporting him no matter what she might think of his nocturnal activity. "I'll tell you about it," Kurt finally promised, resting his head on Mercedes' shoulder, "just... when it hurts a little less."

"Don't worry, Boo. I got you either way." Mercedes patted his leg affectionately and her glare positively dared Puck - whose eyes had lit up at the possibility of finding out just a little bit more when he spotted Kurt - to come any closer.

Despite being physically and emotionally exhausted, Finn had insisted on going to school when he woke up that afternoon. His mother had protested, of course, but Finn used the "attack" to his advantage and pointed out that he'd rather be with his friends than stay alone in his room all day. Carol had reluctantly given her blessing, making Finn promise to call if he even started to feel the least bit dizzy. He ignored all of the stares he received in the school halls. His only thoughts were for Damien. Although Finn was grateful that the vampire had allowed him to retain his memory this time, not being able to see him had brought on the most horrible ache he'd ever known. Extensive questioning by the police had gone nowhere. Finn wasn't about to tell anyone about Damien, and he couldn't even if he'd wanted to. Vampire magic, or whatever it was, kept his lips sealed tight.

Stumbling into the choir room, and looking for all the world like death warmed over, the jock fell into an empty chair beside his stepbrother. "Are you okay?" he whispered to Kurt. It was ironic he was asking about the other teen's well-being when he Kurt appeared flawless as usual.

Kurt felt his hackles raise, but he knew Finn was being kind. It wasn't actually his fault that things were so thoroughly in disarray. He sat up gingerly and tried to smile, mostly failing at the attempt, "I'm fine. A little tired. Shouldn't you be home sleeping?"

"Dude, screw that! You should be giving me _details_," Puck protested. Mercedes' protection only seemed to extend to Kurt, so he took that as an invitation to try and get further information out of his friend instead. "We're bros. Bros share these things."

"There's nothing to share," Finn replied, sinking down into his chair as if to make himself invisible. "I don't remember anything." He folded his arms across his chest, closing his eyes and seeing only one image in his mind: Damien. Why couldn't he see him? It didn't make any sense even though the vampire had explained it to him. He could be careful. Nobody had to know about them. Both wounds on his throat ached beneath the bandages, and again, Finn found himself almost swamped by the need to be bitten again. Ignoring Puck, he turned to Kurt and said softly, "The cops mentioned something about a curfew. Do you really think they'd do that?"

Part of Kurt hoped that they would. Then he wouldn't be able to give in to his own temptations no matter how much his resolve wavered. Neither would Finn. /Not that Blaine would want me anymore... not after last night./ Kurt blinked away tears and shrugged, trying hard to look disinterested while Puck scowled at the back of Finn's head. "Possibly. The police said some vampire showed up at the club covered in blood. Hardly business as usual. Lima isn't exactly progressive anyway," he added stiffly. "They're just looking for a reason."

"Covered in blood?" Finn echoed, only to wince when he realized his words were a little louder than they should have been. Something stirred deep within him at the mention of blood. Instead of being repulsed, it excited and aroused him. He remembered the way Damien's tongue had coursed over his neck, lavishly sampling the tide of crimson which streamed from Mike Chang's bite. Groaning, Finn tipped forward in his seat and held his head in his hands. He didn't feel good at all. What he needed most couldn't be solved with medicine. Only Damien could provide the comfort he ached for.

Will Schuester took note of Finn's plight, and was kneeling by his side in an effort to check on him. "Finn, are you alright? You shouldn't have come to school today."

"It's... it's okay," the clearly distressed jock said shakily. "I just need... some air." Finn abruptly stood up and made for the door. That was a big mistake, as the whole world suddenly started to spin. He shambled down the hall, looking like a rejected zombie from a cheesy B movie, until he reached the boys' restroom. Finn hurled himself inside, grateful to find it empty as he made a beeline for the sink and splashed cool water on his face.

"Finn?" Kurt approached his stepbrother cautiously. Finn had looked shaken beyond anything he'd expected. It was even more confusing after their talk the day before. It had honestly sounded as if despite the glamour, Finn had enjoyed himself. But now he was acting as if he'd been traumatized, and Kurt found himself getting whiplash trying to follow the other teen's moods and control his own at the same time. "Are you alright?" Gently he laid a hand on Finn's back. He hoped that the simple gesture might not be crossing the line. At times he still felt that they were finding their footing together, and Kurt didn't want to break the tenuous truce that had only been weakened by their mutual experiences at the Last Drop. "I can drive you home."

When Finn glanced up in the mirror over the sink, he almost didn't recognize himself. Pale, with dark circles under his eyes, and yet it was the mark of having been with a vampire, of being with Damien, and he couldn't be horrified by it. Instead he embraced it. His gaze settled on Kurt, standing behind him with concern glimmering in his eyes. "Maybe mom was right; I should've stayed home," he admitted, finally turning to face his stepbrother. "I feel like I'm going crazy." In all honesty, Kurt was the only person in the world who could possibly understand how he felt. Although he couldn't talk about or even mention Damien's name, there was a sudden desperation in Finn's voice as he confessed with no shame. "I want to be bitten again."

It was a sentiment that Kurt understood heartily, though he recognized quickly that Finn's reasons were probably different from his own. He wanted to belong to Blaine, to be as close to the vampire as possible, but it went deeper than any physical hunger. When he'd been with Blaine, it was like he felt whole for the first time in his life. Finn showed an entirely different sort of desperation. He was shaking, pale. It was easy to see the need etched across his face, and Kurt wished he could soothe away that hunger. "Let's go home. We can talk there without anyone overhearing, alright?" It wasn't really a matter of saving face, at least not for himself. Finn had some standing at the school, was still the quarterback, still looked up to. Since he was in no position to protect himself, Kurt knew it was his job.

Finn just nodded, hugging himself like a lost little boy. He was usually the one looking out for Kurt, not the other way around. As if on cue, the bathroom door opened and Dave Karofsky stalked inside. Karofsky took one look at Kurt and Finn together, and of course, had to say exactly the wrong thing. "What's up, Hudson? He giving you make-up tips?"

Something snapped in Finn, and with an abrupt rush of anger and surprising strength, he grabbed the other jock by the collar of his letterman jacket and slammed him against the wall. "Don't fuck with me today! Don't you fucking open your shitty mouth around me or my brother unless you want me to rip it off your face!" Tempted to do exactly that regardless if Karofsky uttered another word, Finn released his grip and emerged out into the hallway trembling more than ever. He stumbled toward the exit and didn't stop until he reached the parking lot. Leaning against Kurt's SUV, he breathed heavily in the afternoon sun, feeling as if he was going to black out and pitch forward into the asphalt.

Kurt found himself staring at Karofsky, their expressions of shock near mirrors of one another. Recovering first, Kurt brushed past the stunned jock to run after Finn. He found his stepbrother looking ready to pass out. "Get in. Into the car." It was definitely better that they get the hell out of dodge before Karofsky recovered and decided to grab some friends. Kurt helped Finn climb into the SUV and even buckled him in when Finn showed no real signs of wanting to do so himself. The whole drive home, Kurt kept looking nervously over at the other teen. Finn was having a breakdown. Obviously. "Did you... remember anything else? Last night, do you... do you remember it?"

Lying to Kurt had to be one of the worst feelings in the world, Finn reckoned. He shifted uncomfortably in the passenger seat, not meeting his stepbrother's deeply concerned gaze. "No," he muttered, glancing out of the window. "Just... feelings. It's all mixed up." Even if he could tell Kurt about Damien, Finn wasn't sure he could explain what was happening. He'd always been so certain about who he was, where he was going. Now everything had changed. He was aching for a vampire, and not only that, a man. Trying to distract himself from his thoughts of Damien, Finn blurted out, "I remember seeing Mike Chang." Damien had said about keeping Mike a secret. "He's a vampire."

The words drew a gasp of shock from Kurt. He looked over at Finn as if he might find that the other boy was lying, but Finn looked soberly serious about it. "Oh my god... I... that explains why he fell off the face of the earth. I had no idea... Of course, no one did. God, I should call Tina..." It had been a long time before Mike's ex had finally gotten over expecting him to return, and Kurt had no clue how she would react to the news that he was still in town, he just wasn't alive anymore in a technical sense. "Was he... okay?"

"Yeah, he seemed to be..." /He was especially okay biting my neck and drinking my blood,/ Finn thought, keeping that little morsel of information to himself. "But... I don't think he wants anyone to know. That he's a vampire." Finn couldn't be sure, but he got the sense that Mike had no intention of revisiting his old life. "That's... all I remember. Seeing him." Again, lying to Kurt wasn't his favorite thing in the world to do. It made Finn want to curl up into a little ball and hide in shame. "It's just the feelings that keep coming back. Of being bitten... of being with _him_... that vampire... and wanting it to happen." He finally glanced at his stepbrother again, wondering aloud. "I've really lost it, haven't I?"

Kurt could read Finn's anxiousness easily, but he assumed that it was because of everything he'd been through and how difficult the situation was for him to process. "No... no, you haven't lost it. You've been through something big, and it's... well, it's a change." Kurt wasn't sure what the right thing to say was. He pulled into the driveway and led the charge back into the house. "There's nothing wrong with you. You just need to give yourself a chance to adjust." After everything he'd been through chasing after Finn, he couldn't help but wonder how much the sudden obsession with whoever had attacked Finn had to do with the fact that it was a man. "Have you ever - please don't be offended by the question, but - have you ever thought about... about any, um, any guys this way before?"

/Oh god.../ This was an area Finn really did not want to get into, especially with Kurt of all people. He glanced away from his stepbrother's gaze as he trudged into his room. "I don't want you to hate me if I said _yes_," Finn murmured, sinking down on his bed. "Look, this's just between us, right? It won't go any further?" He sighed, feeling another pang of guilt. "Sorry, you know I trust you. We're bros." His pulse racing, Finn admitted, "Yeah, I've thought about guys before. Was so sure I was straight, I mean really, _really _sure." A slight shake of his head, and then, "That's why I freaked when you liked me. Cause I didn't know how to deal with it. Not you, Kurt-myself."

Though Kurt's initial reaction was a brief flare of pain, he forced himself to take a few moments more to process what Finn was saying and finally sighed. "I actually understand that. And... I didn't exactly make it easy for either of us." In retrospect, Kurt understood well how much of a mess he'd made with Finn. If they'd ever had a chance, he'd killed it himself by being so overzealous. "I have no intention of telling anyone about any of this, and I doubt Karofsky will be mentioning it either." As much as Finn's outburst had frightened him at the time, Kurt couldn't help but smiling at the memory of how shocked the other jock had looked. "As for thinking about guys or... or being attracted to the man you were with... well, it's up to you what you do with that." Out of respect for Finn's boundaries, Kurt had taken a seat in the other teen's desk chair. "For now I think it's just best that we listen to Carol and dad. We owe it to them."

"Yeah, you're right," Finn begrudgingly agreed. He had no intention of doing anything of the sort, however. The second Damien called for him, he would be out of the house like a shot. Again, he felt a nervous tremor quake through his body. Stronger from the blood transfusion, Finn still felt as if he might black out at any moment. It was all because of the overwhelming ache he felt for Damien. The wounds on his neck throbbed, and the jock found himself absently rubbing the bandage covering them. He couldn't understand why Kurt wasn't in a similar state of distress. His stepbrother had also been bitten, and yet Kurt didn't seem to be in the same boat. "I think I'll be okay if I get some more rest," he decided, falling back onto his pillows. "Erm, Kurt? Thanks for talking, and... not being mad at me."

"I'm not," Kurt answered at once. "It's... this is a lot. For both of us." He hesitated in the doorway, uncertain at the idea of leaving Finn entirely by himself. He was acting so strange and so little like himself that it seemed like a dangerous risk. "I could always get the air mattress and take the floor just... until you're feeling a little better. Your mother would never forgive me if I let you collapse trying to get to the shower or something." It was a weak excuse, but Kurt hoped Finn's muddled thoughts might make more sense of it than there was.

Finn's first instinct was to gently turn down Kurt's offer. He wanted to be alone, but he didn't trust himself enough to stay put. Damien had promised to call for him... only what if he couldn't wait? What was keeping him at home and not running off into the night? "You'd really do that for me?" Finn said, sounding almost surprised. "I mean, yeah. That'd be cool. Thanks." He appreciated his stepbrother's company more than he could possibly express. Kurt was the only person who could even come close to understanding what he was going through.

"I suppose it's fair to confess that it isn't entirely selfless," Kurt admitted. He shrugged and ducked his head as he confessed, "I stayed with dad last night. It's just... it's too hard to be alone right now." Speaking the words brought tears to his eyes, and Kurt had to brush them from his eyes. "I'll be back in a few minutes." He darted from the room before the tears could start to fall in earnest. He didn't exactly want to be a sobbing mess when he was supposed to be supporting Finn. By the time Kurt returned, decked out in simple blue cotton pajamas and toting the air mattress, some pillows and a fluffy blanket, he felt far more in control of himself. "Be warned, I _will_ wake you if you snore."

"I do not snore," Finn groused, unsure whether Kurt was teasing him or not. You never could tell with his stepbrother. Still fully dressed, the jock kicked off his shoes and tore off his shirt. His jeans were next, leaving him in his boxers as he dived under the covers of his bed. Finn sighed as his head hit the pillow. He appreciated Kurt's company, but he still couldn't shake the overwhelming desire to run out of the house and make a beeline for Damien's apartment. Rolling onto his side, Finn glanced at Kurt and confessed, "Sometimes... all of this feels like a dream. Vampires being real and everything. It's like any minute Mom's gonna wake me up and tell me I'm late for school, and... I'll wake up and find the world back to the way it was." His eyes darted away almost sheepishly. He usually wasn't this introspective.

"I know what you mean," Kurt agreed with a sigh as he finally flopped back onto the newly-inflated mattress. "It's surreal." Part of him was still waiting for the punchline because surely meeting and falling in love with a vampire couldn't end so simply as all this. "Figures somehow. I meet someone... someone really wonderful and... and then it's just done. Gone. Because of what he is." Kurt shook his head and reminded himself firmly that this was supposed to be about _Finn_. "It'll get easier. I'm sure it will," he told his brother, rolling onto his side so that he could look up at the other teen. "We just... we have to be a little patient in the meantime. Remember why we're... why we're holding ourselves back."

"But I don't want to hold myself back," he protested, scrutinizing Kurt closer. Although Damien had imprinted in his glamour the task of keeping his stepbrother and Blaine apart, Finn couldn't help feeling a pang of guilt over the sadness in Kurt's eyes. "You really like that vampire, don't you?" Exhaling deeply, he closed his eyes and tried to shut out the voice in his mind telling him Kurt's actions were was wrong and dangerous. "I'm sorry, Kurt... I really am," Finn murmured. "The way I've been acting, I'm the last person in the world to butt in." Damien's orders were clear. "You don't want to end up like me. So, please... try to forget about him, okay? There'll be somebody else."

Knowing he'd already failed rather spectacularly at keeping the focus on Finn, Kurt tried to get his thoughts together. "It's just... I know our parents are scared for us. They want us safe, and I... I can't lose my dad." The thought alone made Kurt's voice shake as he continued, "But it isn't about the... thrill or whatever. I know it doesn't make any sense at all. I barely know him. It shouldn't be anything, but it... is. It is. It's... I can stay away from him for my dad's sake. I have to. But I don't know if... if I can stop being in love with him." That was the thought that terrified Kurt. He was alternately scared that somehow he'd lose the painful ache of wanting Blaine and the vampire would be gone from his heart someday and scared that Blaine would be there forever and leave no room for anyone else. "I don't know if I want to stop."

It pained Finn deeply to hear Kurt speak about his love for Blaine, especially when Damien had ordered him to help keep the two of them apart. He'd really never questioned it until now. Why was Damien so adamant about it? What harm was it causing? Was Damien... jealous? Finn didn't like to think about that. It stirred up a whole whirlwind of feelings, not least of all his confusion over where things stood between him and the vampire. "That's my problem, too," he admitted in a whisper. "I don't know if I want whatever's happening to stop." Something akin to a frenzy glittered in Finn's eyes as he recalled the rush of being fed upon. But again, he had to cover it with lies so that his stepbrother wouldn't be suspicious. "I... I don't remember much, but I do know I like it when he drinks my blood. Sometimes... I wish he could drink it all."

"Finn!" Kurt's eyes were wide with alarm, and he sat up before he could get any sort of control. "You... you can't talk like that. Please? This... whoever this vampire is, he's already come close enough. He should be careful with you. If he cared, he'd be careful." The very idea made Kurt indignant, a response he knew was both fruitless and perhaps silly. But Blaine had been so gentle with him, had been so worried over his health that it made Kurt angry to think that whoever had been with Finn hadn't. Normally Finn was the one protecting him, but Kurt found himself rather suddenly understanding the flip side of the coin. "I don't want anything to happen to you. I know we haven't always been close, but... you're my brother now. I don't have enough family that I intend to give any of it."

Kurt's concerned outburst snapped Finn out of the trance he had zoned himself out in. It meant a lot to hear how much his stepbrother genuinely cared about him. "Hey, it's cool, dude," he tried to calm Kurt. "I don't have a death wish or anything." Of course he didn't want to die. But, when he was with Damien, he also didn't want the vampire to stop feeding. When he was being bitten nothing in the world had ever felt so good or more right to Finn. He shook his head to clear his thoughts as he started to become overwhelmed by the need to see Damien again. "Maybe we'd better talk about something else? I don't think this's good for either one of us."

"You're absolutely right." The more he thought about Blaine, the more unfair it seemed and the more he wanted to try to find a way to convince his father that he just needed to get to know Blaine. Because that wasn't going to happen. "I think we should find something to sing for glee. We've hardly been at practice, and... well, with everyone talking, we may as well at least give them something constructive to talk about. We've apparently attained some small celebrity status. Why not use it to our advantage and blow everyone away with something spectacular?"

Finn considered Kurt's proposition for a moment, and then agreed with a decisive nod of his head. "Okay, but let's steer clear of any vampire songs," he advised, doubting that his stepbrother would want to go down that route anyway. "The last thing I want is to give Puck anymore ammunition." When Puck was trying to pry information out of him in class, he was texting him endlessly for details. Finn had made it clear in no uncertain terms that his and Kurt's personal lives were their own, and that meant off limits. However, that did little to deter Puck. "Tell you what, I'll leave the choice up to you, buddy. You know I trust your judgment."

Kurt brightened visibly at the praise. He knew it was probably bull, but that didn't make it any less pleasant to hear. "I think you're right... something bright... light..." He knew that if they picked something dramatic, he'd end up falling to pieces and just making another scene to run off to the bathroom and cry. That was absolutely and positively out of the question. "We could always get Tina and Mercedes to help... do something like 'Lady Marmalade'." Of everyone in the Glee club, they were the least likely to ask too many questions or pry into areas that neither boy was quite ready to reveal yet.

It wasn't Finn's style, but he'd settle for just about anything so long as it distracted him. The more time slowly ticked by, the worse his craving to be with Damien again became. "Sounds cool," he agreed, rolling back over onto his back and pulling the sheet up to his chest. "You set it up, and we'll start practicing." It sounded so normal that Finn could almost believe that the past few days had really been part of a hazy dream. That is if it weren't for the constant throbbing of the wounds adorning his neck. Sighing, he closed his eyes and tried to block out the image of Damien haunting his mind. "Kurt," he started, "thanks... I mean it, I owe you one."

Kurt smiled in the dark room. "No, you don't. We're brothers. We're supposed to be there for each other, to help each other. I haven't always done that the right way in the past, but I want to do it right now." He rolled onto his stomach and sighed. "We should get some sleep. Tomorrow I'll finalize a song decision and maybe we can practice a little before first period." They knew one another's style well enough that Kurt had no doubt they could hammer something out quickly whether they brought the girls in or not. "Maybe just the two of us... anyway, sweet dreams, Finn. If you need anything, just... wake me up. I'll be right here."

It seemed to take forever for Finn to go sleep, and when he finally succumbed, his dreams were sweet indeed. Damien beckoned to him in his slumbering mind, calling out to him, arms open wide in invitation. Finn could have happily lost himself, preferring to stay unconscious if it meant Damien returned to him. He shifted in bed, fisting the sheets as the vampire devoured him in his dreams. He could feel Damien's mouth-cool, wet, and insistent-on his throat, his fangs slicing into his neck... blood flowing. Without even realizing it Finn was openly moaning, writhing in bed...

The sounds eventually woke Kurt. It wasn't much of a loss. He'd been lost to dreams himself, another rather nasty nightmare that had left a cold sweat over his skin and a knot in the pit of his stomach. Spending all his waking hours and his nights lost in worry for Blaine was exhausting. The meaning of the sounds registered slowly on his sleepy brain, and Kurt felt his cheeks flush. There was a time when he would have paid good money to hear Finn Hudson moaning in the dark. Now it was uncomfortable and more than slightly awkward. "Finn?" Nothing changed, and Kurt suspected his hesitant call hadn't been loud enough. He cleared his throat and called out more stridently, "FINN!"

"Wha-?" Finn jerked awake. He blinked in the darkness of the room, unsure as to where he was. Realization dawned, and he sat up in bed-covered in sweat, chest heaving, and achingly hard-he was crushed to discover he wasn't at Damien's apartment but in his very own bedroom. Brushing a hand through his warm, damp hair, Finn tried to hold onto the dream, but the images faded away too quickly. He gave a token moan before glancing at the clock. In an hour, it would be time to be up and get ready for school. "Sorry about that," he apologized to Kurt. "Crazy dream..." Finn gathered the sheet around him, hoping that his stepbrother hadn't noticed just how arousing the dream had been for him.

Though Kurt was aware of Finn's state in an objective sense, he'd been spared the specifics mostly through virtue of carefully not looking. "It's alright. I just..." He shrugged and threw back the covers. "Well, I'm going to take a shower and get dressed. If we're already awake, we may as well go in and rehearse. I think I've decided on the perfect song." He hoped he sounded perky. Certainly Kurt felt anything but. He felt as if he'd been chewed up and spit out. He felt as if he hadn't slept in a month. He felt terribly, terribly lonely. Kurt swallowed hard and forced a smile before he flounced off to his own room to get ready for the day. Utterly uninspired, only sheer force of will made Kurt put any effort at all into looking put together. They were going to perform, and he intended to look stunning doing it even if he felt like death warmed over. As soon as he dubbed himself perfectly coiffed, Kurt returned to Finn's room and knocked sharply on the door. "Let's go. We can grab something at Starbucks for breakfast on the way in."

Having taken a very, very cold shower, Finn managed to pull himself together by the time Kurt rapped on his door. He looked like hell, but didn't care. White as a sheet, and sporting dark circles under his eyes, the jock was a shell of his former self. The only time he seemed to come alive lately was after dark, and then he didn't feel complete unless he was with Damien. As crazy as it all seemed Finn didn't question it. He would go to the vampire-somehow, someway-the moment Damien called for him. If he could make it that long... "Okay, I'm coming," he announced, opening the door and joining his stepbrother. Finn purposefully avoided Kurt's gaze, not wanting to see the disapproval over his appearance.

Had Finn looked up, he would have seen worry, not disappointment. Kurt impulsively linked his arm with the other boy's just as he would have with Rachel or Mercedes. "Now, I've picked a song for us - Adam Lambert's 'Strut'. We happen to be amazing, and I think it's time that everyone noticed it has nothing to do with our choice in bars." Given that Finn looked like he might fall over if he attempted any choreography, Kurt suggested as they piled into his SUV, "Maybe you could drum for us? An impressive backbeat is absolutely essential to make this work."

"Yeah, I think maybe I can handle that," Finn agreed, climbing into the passenger seat. That simple action seemed to expend all of his strength, and he closed his eyes. exhaling deeply. He would feel better as soon as it was night. Somehow Finn instinctively knew that. It was a little beyond his understanding, but he liked to think he drew strength from Damien when the vampire woke. Isn't that how it worked in the movies? "Were you still gonna stop and get us something for breakfast?" Finn wondered aloud. "Cause I could really go for something with lots of sugar and caffeine right about now."

"I could not agree more," Kurt answered. He pulled into the drive through at Starbucks and ordered both of them something sweet and frozen along with toasted bagels. He gave explicit instructions that no cream cheese was to be spared. After all, who was he worried about counting calories for? "I think that should hold us over." Finn looked absolutely wrecked, and Kurt wished he could do something to make him feel better. The man needed rest, needed solace. Exhausted and strained as he was, Kurt had very little to offer. "You sure you're up to school today? We could always go home, watch movies..."

That sounded a hell of a lot more appealing than spending all day at school. Finn knew he wouldn't be able to focus on classes. Especially when his every thought demanded to be filled with Damien. "Mom'll kill me if I don't go," he finally decided. "I'm already getting behind, and I don't want to bring you down either. One failing grade and we'll both be out of glee." Munching on his bagel and taking a long drink from his coffee, Finn felt a little more energized. "I think I'll be okay s'long as Karofsky doesn't piss me off." He managed a smile for Kurt's benefit, adding, "Hey, I know I don't say this often enough. But you're awesome, dude. I mean it. I don't know of too many people who would put up with me. So, thanks."

"Well, who do we have if not each other? We're brothers. We're supposed to take care of one another, and... and anyway, there aren't many other people who would understand." The might have been part of the vampire culture in somewhat different ways, but at least Finn knew in a more direct way what had happened and how he felt. Once they were safely parked at the school, Kurt led the charge into the classroom, which was thankfully empty. They weren't the only glee clubbers who sometimes used the room as a safe space to escape the rest of the Neanderthals that walked the halls of McKinley. He put the cd in the player and turned up the volume. "I know it isn't your usual, but this has certainly been a week for going outside our comfort zones."

hat, Finn silently mused, was an understatement. As the music started to play, he closed his eyes and let the rhythm wash over him. Kurt was right, it wasn't his style at all. But it proved to be another much-needed distraction from the constant longing he felt for Damien. It didn't take Finn long to work out the beat on the drums, and thanks to the infusion of sugar and caffeine, he was able to get through the set without falling over. Kurt seemed to also be in better spirits, and there was always a certain glow about his stepbrother when he was performing. Once the music ended, however, Finn started to feel depressed all over again. "Okay, that was cool, and I know you were perfect, but can we do it again?" he piped up.

The suggestion brought a smile to Kurt's face. It seemed that, at least for the moment, focusing on a project was helping them both. "Of course," he agreed brightly as they ran through he song once again. By the time afternoon came, Kurt felt confident that they would absolutely bowl everyone over. The sight of Mercedes sitting and fidgeting as she caught his gaze did distract Kurt momentarily from the upcoming performance. "What is it, 'Cedes? You look like you're about to tell me you ran over my dog, but since I don't have one..."

"I did something," Mercedes half-explained, pulling a folder from her bag. "You were so _sad _when we talked in class earlier, and you said you didn't even have any pictures, and..." She heaved a sigh and passed the folder over to Kurt. "I didn't know if I should give to you, boo, but I think you need it."

Puzzled by the mysterious observations, Kurt opened the folder and felt his breath catch. "Oh..." Inside was a small selection of printouts from the internet, clippings from what was apparently Dalton Academy's school newspaper and even a yearbook shot of Blaine. Though his hair was gelled to within an inch of its life and he wore a sharp blazer that was a bit on the boring side - what prep school uniform wasn't? - just seeing him made Kurt want to smile and cry all at the same time. He felt Mercedes' hand on his shoulder and finally looked up, blinking back tears. "Thank you." Kurt let himself be enfolded in his friend's embrace for a moment before carefully wiping his eyes. "Can't go crying now. I refuse to perform with puffy eyes."

Finn watched in silence. He felt another pang of guilt for having been so adamant about Kurt and Blaine staying apart. Especially when it was painfully clear how much his stepbrother loved the vampire. But Damien's instructions were clear. And, even as he doubted himself, Finn could hear Damien's voice in his head. Only tragedy awaited Kurt if he persisted in his relationship with Blaine. Finn wasn't about to let anything happen to him. Even if it meant hurting Kurt in the process. Before he realized what was happening, the jock was straightening from the drums and protesting, "That was nice of you, Mercedes. But I don't think it's a good idea for Kurt. He's trying to move on, not be reminded about Blaine." Finn snapped his mouth shut, warming over his sudden outburst.

Kurt's face registered shock for a moment before he lifted his chain and squared his shoulders. "I may have to move on, but that doesn't mean I have any intention of forgetting." He held the folder to his chest protectively and only loosened his hold when he saw a hint of surrender in Finn's eyes.

As soon as everyone settled, Mr. Schuester took the floor, presenting their lesson for the week as Confidence. Everyone had been shaken by the strange goings on in Lima - and especially with Kurt and Finn - and it had definitely cast a pall over the group. "In the interest of getting our groove back, I believe Kurt and Finn have something to present?"

"Yes we do," Kurt agreed, rising from his seat and immediately taking his place in front of the crowd. In silent internal defiance of Finn's words, Kurt found himself imagining how he would sing the song if Blaine were watching. He wanted to be every bit as sexy and confident as he would have wanted to be in front of the vampire.

_I want to start a revolution  
>A type of personal solution<br>We all have got our own pollution  
>It's all about the execution<em>

_You got something to say, your hands are tied, open your mouth, open it wide  
>Let the freedom begin<br>Get on the floor, just let it drive, don't it feel good, don't it feel hot?  
>Feel the fire within<em>

By the time the chorus rolled around, Brittany and Santana had already joined him in front of the class, the three of them managing a decent routine despite the lack of preparation. He felt free of everything for the first time in what felt like an eternity. Kurt embraced the confidence and excitement of performing, the first real release he'd had since his father forbade him from seeing Blaine again.

_I wanna see you strut, strut, strut, come on walk for me_  
><em>Strut, strut, strut, how you wanna be<em>  
><em>Everybody's looking for some love, but they don't know<em>  
><em>How to let it all hang out and that's why they're solo<em>

_Solo, solo, don't wanna be solo_  
><em>Solo, solo, don't wanna be solo<em>

_We're a complicated nation_  
><em>And now we're in a situation<em>  
><em>Let's take a Maybelline vacation<em>  
><em>And get yourself some validation<em>

_You got something to say, your hands are tied, open your mouth, open it wide_  
><em>Let the freedom begin<em>  
><em>Get on the floor, just let it drive, don't it feel good, don't it feel hot?<em>  
><em>Feel the fire within<em>

_I wanna see you strut, strut, strut, come on walk for me_  
><em>Strut, strut, strut, how you wanna be<em>  
><em>Everybody's looking for some love, but they don't know<em>  
><em>How to let it all hang out and that's why they're solo<em>

_Solo, solo, don't wanna be solo_  
><em>Solo, solo, don't wanna be solo<em>

_I'll be your mirror_  
><em>Darling, let your hair down<em>  
><em>Show me what you're working with<em>  
><em>And let me see you<em>

_Strut, strut_  
><em>Strut, strut, how you wanna be<em>

_Everybody's looking for some love, but they don't know_  
><em>How to let it all hang out and that's why they're solo<em>  
><em>Solo, solo, don't wanna be solo<em>  
><em>Solo, solo, don't wanna be solo<em>

_Strut for me and show me what you're working with_  
><em>Strut for me and show me what you're working with<em>

Even Puck looked suitably impressed in the end despite the fact that he would normally have made some snide comment about Kurt's riding boots, the eyeliner, or the fact that he'd chosen Adam Lambert to begin with - and, more, that Finn had gone along with the selection. Apparently whatever admiration he'd gained from knowing that Kurt had been to the Last Drop and hooked himself a vampire was holding. Kurt decided to be thankful for small favors. Being thrown in a dumpster wouldn't do anything to improve his mood. As the adrenaline faded from his system, Kurt found himself feeling deflated once more. He took his place next to Mercedes and picked the folder up, holding it close again without even realizing it.

Finn realized that if he wasn't careful he would ultimately alienate Kurt. He didn't understand what Damien had against his stepbrother and Blaine being together. And it stoked the fires of jealousy deep within Finn's heart. He wanted Damien to want_ him_. How could he make that happen if the vampire's focus was primarily on Blaine? Returning to his seat, he felt the uncomfortable air stirring between himself and Kurt. And he couldn't help but notice how the countertenor was holding onto the folder as if his life depended upon it. "I'm sorry," he whispered, trying his best to smooth things over. "Just worried 'bout you, that's all."

Kurt allowed his features to soften and caught the way Finn's eyes cut down to the folder. Only then did he notice how tightly he was hugging it and relaxed a bit. "I know. I know that you've had my best interests at heart with all this." Kurt was thankful that most of the class seemed busy and distracted with trying to convince Rachel that doing another Journey medley would be Sectionals suicide. Even Mercedes had discreetly slipped away when he and Finn started talking. "Right now it just... it feels like somebody handed me everything I wanted and then took it away." Tears were threatening again, and Kurt did his best to wipe his eyes without making a show of it. "I keep thinking that if it hurts this much now... if it hurts this much now, I don't know how I'm going to be able to breathe in a week."

Finn knew exactly how Kurt felt. Well, almost exactly. Being unable to see Damien was close to driving him insane. The thought of the vampire feeding off someone other than him drove him to distraction. Finn started to fidget as he felt the bite marks hidden beneath his bandage throb all over again. "Kurt, man, you can't keep torturing yourself like this," he whispered to his stepbrother, unsure if it was for Kurt's benefit or his own. His legs bounced with nervous energy, and the urge to tear into his skin in order to draw blood nearly overwhelmed him. "Hey, you'll take me home after school, right?" he suddenly asked. Finn didn't trust himself to be alone. Despite Damien's promise to call for him, he was afraid he would run off to find the vampire the minute the sun set.

"Of course." Kurt reached out and gave Finn's hand a warm squeeze but let go quickly enough. Finn might not care right now, but when his head was on straight again, there were things he wouldn't want whispered behind his back. "Are you ready to go?" Rachel had finished in front of the class. The inspirational round up speech would begin any moment, and the last thing Kurt really wanted was inspiration. He felt far too drained to even try faking the emotion. The performance had sapped the last of the energy out of him, and he wanted nothing more than to be safe at home. "I think we're both in need of junk food and movies tonight."

Distracted by his increasing thoughts of Damien, Finn barely registered Kurt's suggestion. "What? Oh, yeah... that sounds cool." As soon as class was over and everyone started shuffling out of the choir room, the jock straightened and got up on his feet... only to be hit with a rush of dizziness. He grabbed hold of Kurt's shoulder for support, trying not to make a show of how unstable he had become. "Let's get out of here," he murmured, barely able to hold himself together. The later the hour, the more he needed Damien. Finn really began to wonder if he was slowly going out of his mind.

Finn's distress was easy to read, and Kurt nodded as he led the other teen out to the car. He found himself afraid that Finn was going to pass out again or, maybe worse, freak out while they were in the car. Thankfully Finn managed to keep it together on the way, and Kurt tried to offer him reassuring smiles until they were back in the house. He felt more at ease there. Being out in the world meant questions and prying eyes, and he wasn't ready for either. Kurt set his bag down by the door but withdrew the folder that Mercedes had given him. "If you want to lie down, I can see about making us something to eat. Dad and Carol are going out after work, so we'll be on our own."

"That sounds awesome," Finn enthused, growing increasingly on edge as the minutes ticked by. "I think I'm gonna hit the shower." Lying down would just make him crazier. And Finn reasoned that scalding hot water might clear his head. "I'll be back down in a little while." Ascending the stairs, he tore off his clothes and hopped in the shower. Unfortunately, the steamy spray did little to alleviate Finn's near-frantic desire to be with Damien again. He bit his lip and groaned, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the tiled wall. His blood raced, boiling in his veins. It was too much. Finn couldn't wait for the vampire to fulfill his promise, he had to see him-_now_. Shutting off the water, he hurried to his room and threw on a fresh set of clothes. Then, he padded over to the door where he could faintly hear Kurt in the kitchen. As much as he hated to deceive and worry his stepbrother, Finn's need was too great. He was opening his window and shimmying out onto the limb of a tree outside before he could think twice about it. Hitting the ground running, Finn darted off as the sun began to set.

It didn't take long for Kurt to throw something together, and he ducked his head out of the kitchen to call, "Dinner!" When Finn didn't appear at once - it wasn't like the other teen to ignore the draw of sustenance. Kurt frowned and put the lid back on the pot of spaghetti before trudging upstairs, sure he'd find Finn passed out in bed. "Finn Hudson, you get your butt downstairs and-" The cool wind whistling through the window made Kurt's breath catch. "Oh, god..." He shouldn't have left Finn alone. It had been reckless and stupid, and he hadn't even considered that. He'd been too busy thinking about his own loss to worry about Finn's. Knowing he had to get to Finn before he found the vampire who had been driving him so crazy, Kurt tugged a jacket on and hurried out the door, hoping he reached his stepbrother in time.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**Author's Notes:** Arthur is in big trouble, and smutty fun is eventually had. Good news! Parts will be coming faster now, and we're just shy of being done writing all of "season 1," so expect that to finish up and "season 2" to begin before too long.

It had been far too long, and Merlin was beginning to feel twitchy. Even if Arthur was off dealing with the house, he should have been home. Heart pounding, Merlin forced himself up off the bed and hurried to the bar. Maybe someone there had heard something or seen something. Mostly Merlin knew he'd go crazy if he did nothing but sit at home. He endured an icy stare from the man behind the bar who was covering since he hadn't shown up for his shift and looked around the room instead.

Just when he was about to give up and leave, Merlin felt the phone in his pocket vibrating and pulled it out, seeing an unfamiliar number on the screen. "Hello?"

Hearing Merlin's voice was almost enough to make Arthur believe that everything was going to be alright. Things were bad-very, very bad-and he saw no hope of ever being free to be with Merlin again. "They let me make one phone call," he said shakily. "Merlin, another body was found last night. The authorities... they think I did it, and... they arrested me on the way to our new house."

Watching from the window in his upstairs office which overlooked the bar, Mordred folded his arms and smiled. Everything was proceeding according to plan, and soon, it would be time to introduce himself to Merlin. He started for the door-impeccably dressed in an expensive suit-and headed down toward the floor to mingle with the customers for what seemed like the first time in ages.

"Oh, god... I saw posters up and..." Merlin half-stumbled over to the nearest chair and sank into it. "Have they set bail?" He had nothing, no way to make it happen, but the guards were fallible. He could find a way to get them safely out of the jail, and then they could run. They'd have to run. The thoughts swirled through Merlin's head almost too quickly for him to catch hold of a single one as he waited for Arthur's response as if it really mattered. He was oblivious to the murmur of the crowd as the club's handsome manager wove his way through the people.

"It's a million dollars," Arthur replied, defeated. He could easily raise the funds from his myriad bank accounts, but once they became known to the authorities, they would surely freeze his finances. The fact of the matter was that Arthur didn't want to be freed. If he was killing indiscriminately, then he had no business being set loose on the streets. Indeed, his first instinct when confronted by the police was to rip them to shreds. "Merlin, I want you to forget about me. There's nothing you can do, and I don't want you dragged into this. Just remember I love you, and I always will." Unable to talk anymore, Arthur hung up the phone.

Mordred, seizing his opportunity, approached the bar and fixed Merlin with his piercing gaze. "I don't think we've been properly introduced," he started, exuding warm friendliness. "I'm , and you must be Merlin... right?"

Merlin was utterly flustered at being addressed. He looked up at the man with tear-filled eyes only to realize why the name was familiar. "Oh... yes. I... sorry..." He clambered off the barstool and tried to keep himself from crying. That wasn't exactly the right way to make a first impression. "Sorry about being late and... there's... my..." What was Arthur? Not just a friend, certainly. A lover, yes. A boyfriend? Partner? He had no idea. /Nothing, if he had his way,/ Merlin thought, swallowing hard around the lump in his throat. "A friend's in trouble. I'm a bit of a mess just at the moment."

"Please don't apologize," Mordred replied, waving a dismissive hand. "I'm sorry to hear about your friend, and I'm even sorrier to see one of my employees in such a state." He urged Merlin to retake his seat, while occupying the empty bar stool beside him. "Now, why don't you tell me what's going on. You look as if you could use someone to listen, and if you're willing, I'll try my best to help." Merlin had not changed in all the passing centuries. He was exactly as Mordred remembered him. But he showed no recognition to alert the other man. Instead he continued to be warm and welcoming, allowing Merlin to fall into his trap.

Utterly oblivious to the man's calculating gaze, Merlin couldn't help but give in. He needed someone to confide in, after all, and it was impossible to say no to the opportunity. "My friend... he's more than that, actually, it's just a little new," /oddly enough,/ Merlin thought, "and... he... he was arrested." Merlin knew that if he was going to tell the story, he needed to be honest. The man was his boss and, from what he'd gathered from the rumor mill, a rather influential mover and shaker in the vampire world even beyond that. /Maybe he can help?/ The thought lit a new flame of hope within Merlin, and he felt himself calming slightly and speaking more clearly and easily. "Someone was found dead in the neighborhood, and they think he did it. He didn't," Merlin added hurriedly, "but it's a bit... uh, a bit hard to prove, and the bail's absolutely massive, and..." Things had changed a lot, and Merlin had never had any reason to have any involvement with the law or how it worked in anything but the most cursory midnight-Law-&-Order-marathon sort of a sense.

Mordred nodded, seemingly listening intently as Merlin poured out his woes. "Your _friend_," he started carefully. "I take it he is a vampire? If so, there may be something I can do to help. But first..." Sliding off the barstool, he reached out to Merlin with a friendly hand and urged him to join him. "Would you allow me to take you to see him? While you're visiting, I can find out what I can about your friend's predicament." He noted the other man's quizzical expression over his actions. "You're wondering why I'm being so generous, aren't you?" Mordred smiled, explaining, "I happen to care about my employees, and if you're so certain that your friend isn't responsible, then that is good enough for me."

Merlin looked stunned, but hadn't it been what he wanted? Of course it had. He'd been praying that the man would offer some assistance, he simply hadn't expected it to be so hands on. "O-of course. Yes. Thank you! Are you sure?" Merlin was on his feet already, wanting to head out the door immediately. He wanted Arthur the hell out of jail. He wanted him _safe_. "Anything at all you can do would be amazing. He wouldn't do this. I know him. I've known him a long time."

/Yes, I know.../ "The Authority might be able to help," Mordred offered, tipping his head to the other bartender. It was a signal for him to take over for Merlin. Leading him outside to the parking lot and toward his Bugatti Veyron, he opened the passenger door for Merlin before sliding behind the wheel of his luxurious sports car. "If you're right, and your friend was not responsible, then I'm not about to sit around and watch an innocent vampire being wrongly persecuted." As much as he relished the idea of trapping Arthur, he would have to take action in order to prevent the locals from hurling him into the sunlight. He had far too many plans for anything to go wrong now. Arriving at the police station, there were groups holdings signs outside declaring the evil of the undead. They were led by a tall, stern-looking blond woman wielding a bullhorn. "Go on inside and see if you can visit your friend," Mordred urged. "I'll make some calls and see what I can do."

Merlin snapped himself out of taking in the signs, the chanting. The whole thing was disgusting. "I will. Thank you." It took awhile before the guards were willing to play along. Obviously they were more in line with the crowd outside. After a bit of pressing, Merlin did manage to get one younger man to tell him the circumstances of the man's death. /Last night.../ Merlin felt his spirits lifting at once. Arthur had been in bed with him during the window they gave for the man's death. Once he was finally allowed to go to the holding cell - Arthur was being kept separate from the rest of the population "for their safety" - Merlin all but pressed himself against the bars, wanting to be as close as possible. "Arthur!" He felt nervous fear fluttering in his stomach. The former king had made it very clear on the phone what he wanted, but Merlin knew that he'd been lying. /At least I hope he was./

Arthur hated the way in which he thrilled at the sound of Merlin's voice. It gave him hope, and made him believe that everything was going to be alright. But that was a lie. He was behind bars. Accused of a crime he couldn't remember committing. There was no chance of him being freed, let alone surviving another night. "Merlin," he lifted his head, unable to meet the sorcerer's eyes. "What are you doing here? I told you not to come." In a hushed voice he added with urgency, "These people are out for blood. And they're going to think you had something to do with that man's death."

Merlin shook his head, though Arthur made a good point. He wasn't doing much for his own reputation. "What does it matter? If things don't go well... we run. Together. I can get you out of here." That wasn't an issue in the slightest, "And then we go." Thankfully the authorities were still iffy on how to deal with vampires except to be reactionary and frightened. It had made the judicial system a mess and led to nearly equal groups of radicals like Sue Sylvester and touchy feely types who wanted a perfect coexistence that would probably never happen. "The manager's here, he's talking with the police. He's got a lot of influence here. It might help. Arthur, please, it... honestly, it isn't that bad. Compared to the things we've already survived, it's nothing."

"Merlin, I killed someone-again." How could he make his lover understand? "I can't keep doing this." Why he was suddenly consumed with the bloodlust he'd longed restrained was a mystery to Arthur. But he could not bear the guilt of taking innocent lives. Even if it meant forfeiting his own, as well as the happiness he had found with Merlin. "You've got to forget about me. Forget, and get the hell out of this town." He rested his shaggy blond hand against the cruel iron bars. "I can face the True Death knowing that you're safe," he added, totally defeated.

"No!" The word came out louder than he'd intended, and Merlin's next words were a hissing whisper, "You're being ridiculous. Even if... even if something happened, it just means we need to be more careful. It doesn't mean..." The sorcerer's voice broke, and he reached through the bars, just barely able to touch Arthur's forehead, his hair, stroking as best he could with the awkward restraint. "I'm not going to lose you. Not after all this time... these years... I won't."

"Merlin..." Arthur started, only to falter beneath his lover's gentle caress. He could see that any protest would fall upon deaf ears. Just like the old days, Merlin was determined not to abandon him even at the risk of his own life. /How could I have been so blind not to see that he truly loved me?/ Arthur silently pondered. "I don't want anything to happen to you," he said pleadingly. "These people are scared, and they want someone to pay for the attacks." Reaching through the bars, he held tightly to Merlin's hand. "If we were back in Camelot, I could order you to go. But, you'd just disobey me, wouldn't you?"

"I'm terrible at following orders," Merlin agreed, a hint of a smile finally lighting his face. "I can protect the both of us. I won't let anyone hurt you. I never did, and I have no intention of starting now." Saving Arthur's life was a full time occupation, and it was one that Merlin didn't mind in the slightest taking on. "Maybe the manager will be able to figure something out. I don't see how you could've done this, Arthur. You were with me unless you've forgotten so quickly. This... it may've happened once accidentally, but... it isn't you."

Arthur refused to believe that he wasn't responsible. The authorities had given him the gruesome details of the victim's demise, which sounded all too familiar. As far as he was concerned, he was guilty as sin. "No, I haven't forgotten that we were together," the vampire murmured. "But... What if I sneaked out when you went to sleep? And I just don't remember..." Arthur lifted his eyes again, pale and haunted. "It could have happened that way, Merlin." Outside the shouting of the protestors grew louder. It wouldn't have surprised Arthur in the least if broke into the jail and hauled him into the sun themselves.

"It could have," Merlin allowed, adding just as steadily, "but it didn't. Do you remember what you were like afterward, Arthur? The last time? You were so out of it that you came into the bar covered in blood. That's why this is happening. I don't think you would've managed getting cleaned up, getting the blood out of your clothes and getting home and back into the closet in a half an hour and without me noticing. You want to punish yourself for what happened before, but you didn't do this."

Before Arthur could protest further, the door behind Merlin opened and a burly-looking cop with a ruddy face entered the room. The vampire tensed, certain that this was the moment of his True Death. Holding a large ring of keys, the officer announced, "Looks like you've got friends in high places." He unlocked the cell door, wearing an expression of great reluctance.

Arthur blinked, glancing at the cop incredulously. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

"You're free to go," the officer replied, obviously not liking the idea in the least.

Merlin, ignoring the officer's annoyance, grinned as the door swung open. He didn't waste a moment throwing his arms around Arthur's neck and holding him close. The cop obviously didn't like them anyway, so he had no problem with adding another potential layer to the man's distaste. He withdrew to a more appropriate distance soon enough but couldn't stop smiling. Merlin caught the look that the cop was giving them and tried to sober, but he felt too great a sense of relief to really manage it. "C'mon, we should go thank him."

The police officer barred their way as the pair started to leave. "I think it might be better if you take the back exit," he advised, throwing a knowing glance over his shoulder. The mob continued to surround the front of the building, and it would be safer for all concerned if the vampire were released unseen. Arthur understood the cop's meaning, even if he was still reeling from the idea of being freed. He nodded, and reaching for Merlin's hand, drew his lover toward the door. Along the way, he was greeted with harsh stares from the other officers. But Arthur ignored them, focusing instead on getting Merlin safely away.

Vowing to thank his manager later, Merlin kept his arm around Arthur's waist and didn't bother worrying about what the people around them thought. He didn't care. He cared that they were together and Arthur was, for the moment, safe. "We should go to the house," Merlin whispered quietly. "People have seen us coming and going from my place, but no one knows it. We'll be... be safer there. I can go and get my things later, or maybe have someone from the bar pick them up." That might be best. Then neither of them would need to exit their safe haven until public opinion quieted a bit. The protesters hadn't found the back exit or were avoiding it because the press wouldn't see them there, and Merlin breathed a sigh of relief at the discovery.

Arthur nodded, moving along with Merlin's direction like a puppet on a string. He was too stunned over his sudden freedom to do little else. Just who was his mysterious benefactor? And how had he managed what Arthur had considered an impossible feat in what seemed like no time at all? These thoughts continued to race through the vampire's mind as he and Merlin hurried toward their new home. It was some distance away from the police station, and by the time they arrived, Arthur had managed to regain the power of speech. "I can't believe this," he confessed, drawing Merlin in closer. "I thought for sure I was finished, but now..." He shook his shaggy blond head. "This can't last, can it? They'll find someway to drag me back in, won't they?"

"No," Merlin answered firmly. "They aren't taking you anywhere." There was something almost dangerous, an edge to the words and a hardness in his eyes as he spoke them. "We'll run if we have to, but they aren't taking you. Not people like that. They wouldn't listen to the truth, just to power." Arthur hadn't been freed because he was innocent - though Merlin knew that he was - he'd been freed because he had the right sort of a friend pulling for him. The sorcerer swallowed hard and tried not think of how things might have gone if he had needed to free Arthur in a less political manner. The streets were becoming less familiar, but he remembered the route more or less and did his part to hurry along. The sooner they were safe inside, the better he'd feel. Slipping his arm from Arthur's waist, Merlin instead took the vampire's hand and gave it a warm squeeze. "We're in this together. I keep telling you."

Arthur relented, too drained to protest or think of ways he might be torn away from Merlin again. "Alright, I know," he replied, leaning into his lover. "I'm not about to start another fight. At least not tonight." His shoulders slumped, and he found it an almighty effort to keep going. "But, what are we going to do about tomorrow? You trust me, and your faith means so much to me. But I don't trust myself." Arthur glanced up into Merlin's eyes, his own gaze bordering on desperate. "You might have to find a way to make sure I don't go out."

"I think I can come up with one or two ways." Merlin hadn't intended the comment to be entirely lascivious, but he couldn't help it. The memory of Arthur's hands on his body and the man's lips against his own were enough to get his heart beating faster. "Think I could come up with a few ways that might make us forget we ever meant to leave the house to start with, actually." He thanked whatever powers might be watching over them that they were at the house and waited impatiently for Arthur to open the door. "Think we might have enough time before the sun comes up for me to give you a preview if you like."

"Merlin, you are incorrigible," Arthur replied, fishing out the key the police officers had been too wary to take off his person. "And I wouldn't have you any other way." He opened the door, and was pleased to find that the furniture he'd ordered had already been delivered. Strangely, it already looked and felt like home. Although Arthur decided that had more to do with Merlin's presence than the decor. Once they were safely inside, he pulled the sorcerer close to him once again. "I hope you like it," he murmured, nuzzling Merlin's throat. "I didn't even give you a chance to help me pick everything out."

"You're better at it anyway." He had never been one to care much about his environment save that it was comfortable and mostly clean. Arthur had a taste for something nicer, for the finer things he hadn't ever even seen until he began to serve the prince at court. "You saw where I've been living. Besides, the only part I care about is whether you're here." Turning in the man's arms, Merlin wrapped his own around Arthur's neck, the decor entirely forgotten. "So which piece of furniture are we going to break in first?"

Despite his worries over being hauled off to prison again, Arthur was indeed in the mood to celebrate. And he couldn't think of a better way than to indulge himself in Merlin. "After spending better part of the night in a filthy cell, I could use a shower," the vampire replied. "How does that sound to you?" Not waiting for a reply, Arthur's mouth swooped in and claimed the sorcerer's. Then, he was moving. Backing Merlin down the hall, into their bedroom, and the en suite bathroom. His hands roamed restlessly all over Merlin, tugging at his clothes in an effort to feel warm, bare flesh beneath his fingers.

Merlin groaned into the other man's mouth as their bodies pressed together, came apart, then crashed into one another again along their route. He didn't know the layout of the room or much else, but it didn't matter. Arthur was leading them, and even without the man being able to see, Merlin trusted him entirely. A few bruises would be worth it to be intimate with him again. He reached out, groping for the shower and finding the knobs. Frustrated, Merlin finally turned his head to set the temperature before sealing his mouth to Arthur's again with an audible moan.

Arthur had not realized just how desperately he needed Merlin until that moment. His near brush with the True Death hit home, and he kissed the sorcerer with an intense passion that would have left him breathless if he'd still been mortal. He was only vaguely aware of the shower starting, of the hot, steady water raining down. Arthur's focus, his entire world, was centered on the beautiful man in his arms. Their tongues tangled, settling in for a heated duel as he urged Merlin beneath the spray, clothes and all.

The damp fabric was instantly sealed to the man's skin, and though it was an annoyance, Merlin couldn't bear parting his body from Arthur's long enough to get rid of it. Instead he wrapped himself thoroughly around the vampire and fell back against the tiled wall. The slick fabric collided with the wet surface and only Arthur's grip kept him from losing his footing entirely. If his lips hadn't been otherwise engaged, Merlin might have pointed out that he was desperate, that he needed Arthur more than he'd ever needed anything else.

Finding the fact that he and merely were only separated by the wet cloth plastered to their skin highly erotic, Arthur cradled the back of Merlin's head as he thoroughly devoured his lover's sweet, panting mouth. Their bodies writhed together, and the vampire found it near-impossible to control his desire after his brush with the True Death tonight. His other hand roaming down to cup Merlin's ass, the vampire surged forward and groaned against those soft, rapidly swelling lips as their trapped arousals ground together. "You know," he gasped, staring into the sorcerer's eyes, "I can easily cum like this..."

Merlin nodded his mute agreement and grabbed Arthur's ass for maximum friction. "Y'can if you want to," he answered, voice light and almost sweet before he purred, "as long as you're ready for me to get you hard again. Before day comes, I want you inside me." They'd been together only once, and Merlin already felt the ache for more like a drug running through his veins. He'd been waiting centuries. They both had been. Now all of that want and love and need were overwhelming.

"Oh, I don't think that will be a problem," Arthur growled, his fangs flashing in the steamy water spraying down on them. Although he had no lust for blood, he could not control his baser vampire instincts around Merlin. Thankfully, his lover did not seem to mind and there wasn't the slightest hint of fear in Merlin's eyes. Groaning deep in his throat, Arthur surged against the sorcerer. Achingly hard and feverishly aroused, he tensed and shuddered with each resonant throb of Merlin's hard bulge grinding against his own. Their lips met again, and Arthur clawed mindlessly at the other man's wet clothing as the mutual thrusting of their hips grew ever more heated.

Merlin's hips stuttered and bucked, mindless and wordless and loving every second of it. Tearing his lips from Arthur's, he ordered, "Cum for me. Cum for me, Arthur." Just the idea brought him to the edge. Merlin gasped against the man's damp neck. His teeth scraped hard over the flesh in an unintentional mimicry of feeding. It was a needy expression of how badly he wanted the other man and how Arthur drove him to a perfect state of distraction. No horror or worry in the world could touch him so long as they had each other.

Arthur's hips rolled, and an intense tremor of ecstasy quaked through his undead frame. He clutched desperately at Merlin, barring his throat in an open invitation for more attention. His neck was a particular hot spot for him, and not many knew of his weakness. Lusty groans erupted from his lips as his thrusts grew even more desperate. "Merlin... m'close... please... more..." Surrounded by a curtain of steamy water, the vampire relished the feel of his lover's hot, hard body writhing against him. Finally, the pleasure reached its peak and Arthur spilled over within the tight confines of his soaking wet jeans.

Merlin felt the bucking, heard the soft sound of pleasure that was so much like a sigh as Arthur came. Just that sound and the feeling of Arthur's body against his own got him there. Merlin gasped and the sound echoed in the small bathroom while he moved in uncontrollable spasms against his lover. Taking Arthur's invitation, his teeth latched themselves onto the pale expanse of vampire's neck. It wasn't enough to break the skin, but it was enough to leave angry red marks as Merlin's hips moved of their own accord.

Arthur cried out from the bite, not out of pain but pure, unbridled ecstasy. He shivered all over, nearly finding himself in the grip of another wrenching orgasm. Merlin's effect on him was potent, and it made the vampire wild. He tugged Merlin's head back, kissing with a ravenous passion that was almost frightening. Then, he was clawing at the sorcerer's soaking wet clothes, shredding them from his body without a second thought. Arthur tossed them out of the shower along with his own, which he ripped off just as carelessly. "I promised, I'm not finished yet," he groaned, swarming all over Merlin beneath the hot spray of water.

"I know," Merlin agreed, grateful just the same to find that Arthur's hunger didn't seem to have diminished in the slightest. He let the vampire take the lead without any hesitation. They had always trusted one another. Even before they'd like each other, there had been a sort of bond that went well beneath the surface and defied all logic. Now for the first time Merlin felt complete as they reveled in being together. No change and no span of years could destroy what held them together. It was bigger than either of them. Water rolled over his skin and clouded his vision as Merlin shifted to find some part of the other man to kiss and touch and taste.

Arthur's actions were more languid than this time, but no less heated. He devoured Merlin's panting mouth all over again, one hand cradling the back of his lover's head, while the other cupped that magnificent ass. Their bodies married and writhed together in an erotic dance beneath the steamy spray raining down upon them. Nearly losing Merlin again had had a profound effect on Arthur. He realized that instead of embracing the True Death because of his actions, he wanted to fight against it. Leaving Merlin alone, or being torn away from him, was something he just couldn't accept... no matter what he might have done to deserve the punishment. "Love you," he murmured between fervent kisses. "Never going to let you go."

The words brought tears to Merlin's eyes. He held Arthur tighter as the languor of the aftermath fell from his limbs. He'd been waiting to hear those words from the moment they began to confess their real feelings. All along Arthur had still been holding back, still acting like he had one foot out the door, ready to bail as soon as things got anymore complicated. Now Merlin knew that his lover was as invested as he was. "'Bout time," he murmured with a hint of a smile. "I love you so much. I always have. I'll run to the ends of the earth with you if it's what we have to do."

"I love you, too," Arthur replied, his words deeply heartfelt and his throat clotted with emotion. "I don't know how you've put up with me all this time, but I'm thankful you can look past my many faults." Chief among them was his propensity for being bull-headed. That was something that had not diminished ever since his long ago days as prince of Camelot. Of course, it seemed that Merlin loved him for even that particular trait. "I've been a fool, haven't I?" More kisses beneath the shower, and then Arthur licked at Merlin's mouth. "There's so much I need to make up for, isn't there?"

Merlin couldn't help but smile into the kiss. "Just a few. Think we can manage it, though. We have a long, long time." Merlin's arms tightened around the man's neck, and he whispered, "Since you do have to start somewhere, let's go to bed. I want you to make love to me properly." He rested his forehead against Arthur's, still smiling at the sheer joy of being in the man's arms. "I think we've both earned it."

You're right, we have," Arthur agreed, shutting off the water without losing contact with Merlin. Effortlessly, he carried the sorcerer's beautiful glistening, flushed body from the shower. It was of no consequence that they were both soaking wet-that was easily cleaned up-all that mattered was that he and Merlin were together. Arthur kissed him all the way to the bed, where he gently deposited his precious bundle on the mattress. Wasting no time, the vampires was draping his body over the sorcerer's, and moaning as their bodies melded together. "I love you, Merlin," he reaffirmed, stroking his cheek. "I promise I'm never going to let you go again."

"I wouldn't let you," Merlin answered with a trace of a smile. He wasn't going to be set aside or pushed away ever again. They needed one another too much. Long, pale limbs twined around Arthur's body as if he couldn't manage to get close enough. "I'm going to spend the rest of my life right here. Well, not necessarily this bed, but... I think you get the picture." Stretching his neck up, Merlin stole a sweet, soft kiss. "You won't be rid of me that easily. Should know that by now." They'd found each other against time and all odds. There was a reason for it, a logic of some strange sort in the whole thing.

Arthur groaned into the kiss, "I know that now. Took a while, but it finally got through this old noggin of mine." He smiled, caressing Merlin's beautiful face with a sense of tender reverence. "There's something I want you to do for me," he murmured, nuzzling his lover's gloriously swollen mouth with his own. "Drink..." Arthur pierced his own throat with his fingernails, drawing blood which trickled free from the wound. "Please, Merlin... taste me..." Although he did not trust himself enough to feed from Merlin, the vampire yearned for the sorcerer to have him as completely as possible.

Merlin hesitated for a moment. He'd heard that vampire blood could be rather intoxicating, but he'd never had any desire to test the theory. And yet there was no way he could deny the look on Arthur's face and the pleading in his voice. Slowly he nodded and then stretched his head up, licking his throat and tasting the fluid leaking from the wound. It wasn't as bad as he'd expected. Arthur's blood tasted odd, strangely sweet and heady. It reminded him of wine more than it did of blood, and Merlin heard a moan before he even realized that the sound had escaped his own throat.

Arthur shivered at the contact, relishing the feeling of Merlin's warm, wet tongue across the fresh wound. Then, he heard what was music to his ears: Merlin moaning in ecstasy. "Yes," he urged in a soft hissing tone. "Drink, Merlin... taste me..." Writhing against his lover, the vampire cradled the back of the sorcerer's head as he lost himself in the erotic act of being fed upon. Arthur reached between their bodies with his free hand, grasping both their renewed lengths together, and stroking them in tandem. The dual stimulation left him an aching, shuddering wreck.

When Merlin surfaced again to breathe, the sound was shaky and desperate as he clung to Arthur. "Need you inside me... now, Arthur, please..." He stretched out a hand and the drawer of the nightstand flashed open, his eyes flaring gold in the dim light of the room. Thankfully what he wanted was there already - it seemed he wasn't the only one who'd been planning to properly christen the house. Long fingers closed around the bottle of lube as soon as it got close enough, and Merlin pressed it into Arthur's hand even though it meant him letting go of them both. "Now," he insisted again.

Pressing a scorching kiss to Merlin's beautifully swollen mouth, Arthur groaned at the taste of his own blood spicing those soft lips. He held tightly to the bottle of lubricant as he swiped his tongue down Merlin's throat, onto his chest, and over his flat tummy. Upending the sorcerer by drawing his legs up and back, Arthur dove between his legs and disappeared between those peerless mounds of flesh. He feasted upon Merlin's enticing little opening, while-at the same time-blindly pouring a generous amount of fluid on his fingers. Fairly growling, the vampire speared his way inside, tasting and licking until he eventually withdrew and replaced his tongue with one slick digit.

Merlin's hips jerked upward at the stimulation, and he let out a mewling sound of gratitude as Arthur finally began to stretch him. It wouldn't ever be enough until they were as close together as humanly possible, but he felt more complete already with the blond's finger pressing into him. "Yes," he whispered softly, lips parted and eyes unfocused. He showed not the slightest hesitation or discomfort about being splayed open in front of Arthur, sweetly pliant and waiting as patiently as possible instead.

Arthur's questing finger worked its own brand of magic on Merlin's body. And the vampire marveled at the way in the sorcerer eagerly accepted his invading digit. He licked his lips, his gaze burning with passion as he focused on the sight of that perfect little rosebud stretching around him. It wasn't enough to touch and caress him, Arthur also needed to taste him. He licked all over Merlin's heaving balls, which hung low between his legs. "So lovely, so mine," he purred, swiping his tongue over the other man's straining length.

"Always was," Merlin answered, coming back to himself enough to manage the words despite the fact that he could barely think or do anything but watch Arthur. He'd never seen anything as sexy as the way the man watched him. It was a look he'd been dying to see on the former king's face almost since they'd met. The tension that had spent years coiling between them remained but now there was an outlet. They could touch and taste and explore exactly the way they wanted to. "Always will be."

"Always," Arthur agreed, crooking his finger and brushing that special little spot deep inside of Merlin. The effect was instantaneous, and the vampire watched in rapt awe as the sorcerer came unraveled before his lust-darkened gaze. Arthur licked his lips, then swooped between Merlin's trembling legs again, only this time taking his lover's beautiful cock deep inside of his eager mouth. He nursed greedily, lovingly, while marrying a second digit to the first, and stretching Merlin open that much more. His fingers worked diligently, caressing those silky, tender walls, and drinking down the sweet honey forming at the tip of the other man's aching length.

Merlin shuddered as he opened up to the ministrations of the other man's fingers. The dual sensation of Arthur's cool lips wrapped around him probably would have meant cumming on the spot if they hadn't already relieved some tension in the shower. "Just... god, go slow because... you are far, far too good at this." He had no intention of asking where Arthur had picked the skills up over the years. He didn't want to think about who else might have shared the man's bed or why. The only thing that mattered was that they'd found one another. No one would ever come between them again.

"Oh, I could never rush with you, beautiful," Arthur reassured his flushed and writhing lover. Merlin never looked more enticing than when he was like this, his alabaster skin warm and covered in a light sheen of sweat, and his limbs flailing in wanton ecstasy. The moans and whimpers spilling from the sorcerer's pillow-soft lips were like music to the vampire's ears. And the fact the he alone was responsible for those sounds thrilled him to his core. How his hunger remained in check was nothing short of miraculous, but Arthur didn't question it. Instead, he remained grateful that there was no danger of him harming Merlin. Easing another finger into the other man's sweet little ass, he marveled over the way Merlin welcomed and embraced his questing digits. Another dollop of pre-cum caught his attention, and he flicked his cool tongue over the swollen tip of Merlin's cock to chase after it.

Merlin hissed something absolutely pornographic that was perfect considering he'd never been worked over by anyone with the same skill Arthur showed. Though he wasn't exactly loud in bed most of the time, the man drew something different out in him. Merlin couldn't help groaning and gasping, couldn't help rocking his hips wantonly as Arthur fingered him. He panted at the thought of the former ruler's cock following soon and how good it would feel to cling to him through another climax, to cum with their bodies joined together perfectly. Whatever time they had before the sun rose again Merlin intended to spend lost in one another.

Although Arthur yearned to prolong Merlin's delicious agony, it wasn't long before he eased a second digit alongside the other. That silky passage opened up to him beautifully, accepting his questing digits in a heated embrace. "You are so lovely," he purred, nuzzling the sorcerer's overheated length. "How did I ever manage to hold myself back from taking you for so long?" His gaze filled with sexual hunger, he drank in the expressions of wanton pleasure etching themselves across Merlin's gorgeous face. It was everything he'd ever longed for laid out before him, and Arthur ravenously feasted upon the banquet of desire. He crooked his fingers, languidly twisting them deep inside of his lover.

Merlin's body twisted with the motion, hips bucking, eyes falling closed, mouth dropping open. "Never have to hold back... ever... ever..." If Arthur wanted to spend the rest of their mutual lives together wrapped up in bed and learning every way they could drive one another to the brink of pleasurable insanity, he would have consented in a second. With all the years they'd lost, he would never say no to another moment together. Merlin was thankful that Arthur had left off licking him for a moment because his fingers alone were almost overwhelmingly pleasurable.

It wouldn't be long before Merlin would be ready to take him fully. Although Arthur yearned to make love to the other man, he couldn't help prolonging the moment and his enjoyment of watching Merlin unraveling at the seams. He leaned forward, kissing and nibbling at the sorcerer's quivering thighs, while carefully avoiding that exquisite cock, which swelled to bursting. Tempting honey flowed copiously from the flaring tip, creating an erotic tableau which only intensified the vampire's growing sexual hunger. Once he was certain Merlin was ready, he eased a third finger inside and marveled over how his lover's body blossomed around him.

Merlin shuddered at the new penetration, his whole body rolling into the stimulation. It was amazing even if it wasn't enough, even if it only suggested how amazing the next step would be. When Merlin opened his eyes again to look down at Arthur, the pupils were blown so wide they looked black. "Not gonna be able to wait forever," he muttered as he fucked himself on those clever fingers. "I'm not going to cum until you're buried inside me... so you'd better get there soon."

Arthur chuckled lustily, "A servant dares order his prince?" He gave his fingers a wicked twist, and the vampire reveled in the ease with which he could manipulate Merlin's luscious body. "You'll have everything you want... soon. Just have a little more patience, love." Although Arthur was denied the pleasure of the rich scents wafting from that lithe frame, he knew how dangerously close to the edge Merlin had grown. With each calculated stroke of his digits, the fever within his lover intensified, and Arthur felt his own need heightening. "Now then, I think you're just about ready..."

"More than. Fuck, more than," Merlin panted. He knew how close he was, and honestly the few beats of a pause were a good thing. He knew that. Still Merlin wanted nothing more than for Arthur to slam home inside him and thrust until they both lost their minds with pleasure. He forced his eyes open and met Arthur's burning gaze. He could see the glint in the other man's bright eyes and knew that Arthur was enjoying every last second of making him crazy. "Gonna pay you back for this. You know that, don't you?"

"Are you now?" Arthur's tone, rough and playful, matched the wicked glint in his eyes. "Well, then..." He paused, visibly trembling as he slicked himself and draped himself over Merlin's gorgeous body. "...perhaps I should prolong the moment?" Having no intention of doing so, the vampire could not help teasing Merlin a little more. Arthur brushing the weeping tip of his bloated length against his lover's well-prepared opening. A whimper, followed by something akin to a growl as the sorcerer's eager rosebud responded in kind, twitching in an attempt to close around him.

So close and yet so far. Merlin groaned in frustration but was in no position to do anything to force the issue without getting his magic involved. He didn't want that. Even if it meant going mad, Merlin wanted Arthur to be the one in control. The vampire needed to trust himself, and he wouldn't until he realized that he was capable of being at the helm and still doing the right thing. That didn't stop Merlin from whining helplessly and bucking his hips upward. "Please..."

That's all it took. Arthur closed his hands around Merlin's wrists, gripping them gently but firmly. Then, he pressed forward... sinking himself completely into the delicious warmth of the sorcerer's aching body. Pleasure washed over him-intense and overwhelming-and the vampire recaptured Merlin's sweet, panting mouth in an all-consuming kiss filled with passion. He began to thrusts, his hips churning and pumping, driving his raging length deeper and deeper into the caressing folds of Merlin's tender passage. "Yes," he gasped against his lover's mouth. "Oh, Merlin..."

Merlin didn't try to free his hands despite an overwhelming desire to run his fingers through Arthur's hair or dig his nails into the man's back. Instead he let his hips do all the moving. They rose to meet Arthur's and his head fell back against the pillow again. That exposing his neck so wantonly might be a rather cruel temptation didn't occur to him. Merlin was lost in reacting to the feeling of being filled at last and the slow, perfect slide of Arthur's cock inside of his body.

Arthur's gaze focused on Merlin's delicate throat. Although the sorcerer had magically cloaked his scent, the vampire found himself sorely tempted by the pulsing vein in Merlin's neck. It seemed to call out to him, caressing his senses with its siren song. And yet, Arthur resisted. He would not allow himself to harm Merlin, even if his lover begged him to feed. Instead, he licked at nibbled at that glorious expanse of alabaster. Moaning uncontrollably, he drove into Merlin's clenching embrace, his hips churning, his cock spearing through the tender folds of his passage.

Though he hadn't ever liked the idea of being bitten, Merlin's neck _was _an extremely sensitive spot, and he let out a keening sound of pleasure as Arthur licked and nipped almost playfully at the skin instead. He was impressed by the man's restraint. He was more impressed by how amazing Arthur's cock felt as the man began to pick up speed. "There!" Merlin gasped as Arthur found a new angle that sent spots swimming in front of his eyes. "Arthur, again... there... please..." Desperation not politeness prompted the "please," and Merlin nearly gave up playing nice and tore his hands from Arthur's grip to clutch at his pistoning hips.

The force with which Merlin broke free from his his grasp left Arthur growling with another sharp flood of desire. Merlin's touch-feverish and demanding-fueled his lust, and the vampire found himself pumping harder, faster. His own hands roamed down, coursing over the sorcerer's trembling frame until he filled his palms with his lover's peerless ass. He cradled those firm, round moons, and drove into Merlin, hitting the very spot that had left him gasping for more. The passion they had worked up between them could have incinerated the bed to ashes. Arthur mauled the other man's throat, leaving marks without breaking the skin. Merlin belonged to him, and he wanted the whole world to know it.

Merlin shuddered, his fingers moving over Arthur's flesh. It was cool but pleasant beneath his hands. One of them finally settled in the man's hair, clutching at the blond strands like a lifeline while his body drove upward to meet the punishing thrusts. "Yes... yes, like that... there..." The words continued to fall from his lips but even Merlin lost track of what he was saying. It didn't matter. The sounds were meant only to encourage Arthur not to stop. He couldn't let the man stop when every tiny movement pushed him that much closer to the edge of a truly epic release.

Arthur relished the tangling of Merlin's fingers in his hair, as he dropped his mouth further down and nursed on a succulent, firm nipple. Wildly he sucked and fucked and fondled Merlin's heated body. His fingers sank into the firm mounds of his lover's ass, writhing and thrusting, groaning and shivering with unbearable lust for him. Suddenly, he stopped clutching and groaning. He gazed deeply into the sorcerer's eyes, his thrusts slowing. Then, Arthur pressed forward hard with his dripping, aching length... kissing Merlin's sweet spot with the tip. He kissed him savagely, grinding and quickening his pumping hips, nearly losing control from the intense pleasure that gripped his undead body. "Cum with me, Merlin," the vampire groaned, "I'm so close..."

Dangerously close to the edge already, Merlin gave in the to the command without any hint of hesitation. His whole body bucked, his hips rising and then crashing down against Arthur's thick cock. "Oh, FUCK!" he cried out without any reservation into the stillness of the house. The sound of his heart pounding and the blood pumping through his veins filled Merlin's ears as he came in thick streams over his own stomach. The constant stimulation of his prostate alone had been enough to set the tidal wave off. "Let me feel you... Arthur, please, I need to... to feel you... inside me... please... cum for me, please..."

Nothing in this world or beyond could compare to the delicious sight of Merlin thrashing in ecstasy. Arthur reveled in the explosion of bliss, groaning heartily as his lover's beautiful cock swelled and erupted, painting his torso in pearls of his creamy essence. It drove the vampire nearly insane. And, as Merlin clenched around him and begged sweetly for his release, Arthur clung to him, roaring and growling on an uprush of sharp spasms. He cried out savagely, grimacing as an intense orgasm seized him. He buried his face in Merlin's smooth neck, realizing after a little while that bloody tears were sliding down his cheeks. He looked up and gazed at Merlin. Their mouths curved together in a slow, heart-wrenching kiss. "It's never been this way, never this way," Arthur moaned against Merlin's lips.

Merlin smiled at the words and kissed the man gently in return. "Nothing's supposed to be like this. Just... love." It sounded cheesy, and if Merlin had heard anyone else say something like it, he probably would have been choking on the desire to mock them. Instead he was overwhelmed by the fact that Arthur was so lost in the moment. There were tears in Merlin's eyes as well as he gazed up at the vampire. "Nothing else should be like this because it couldn't ever be like this with anyone but you."

"I love you, Merlin," Arthur whispered, tenderly kissing away the sorcerer's tears. "Whatever hell we've both been through to get here, it's all been worth it." Still trembling with the aftershocks of his violent release, the vampire whined like a wounded beast as his lips brushed Merlin's throat. Then, he was languidly moved down the length of his lover's body, his tongue lapping at the creamy essence painting Merlin's heaving torso. Warm and sweet, the taste exploded in his mouth and Arthur quickly became an addict. He found Merlin still beautifully hard, that perfect length pulsing and drooling all over his abdomen. Knowing how sensitive Merlin would be to further stimulation, Arthur took great care as he eased the blushing shaft between his lips, swallowing him down as he nursed him clean.

Merlin gasped and jolted off the bed, winding up propped up on his elbows to look dazedly down at the other man. "Oh, Arthur..." The man's head tipped back, and he threaded his fingers into Arthur's hair. It was too much, really, felt too good, but soon enough Merlin found himself thrusting shallowly into his lover's mouth. He let out a strangled whisper as a new wave of pleasure crashed down. Merlin's hips moved of their own volition as the dry climax left him shaking and falling back against the bed once more. Never in his long life had he experienced so much pleasure in so short a span of time, and he could hardly breathe. "S-stop... can't take anymore... Arthur, please... just..."

Arthur relented, smacking his lips and chuckling lustily, "You'll have to forgive me, my love. But you taste much too sweet for your own good." Indeed, he could have quite happily continued sucking Merlin dry for the rest of the night. Kissing his way back up the length of the sorcerer's body, Arthur rolled onto his side, propped his head up on one hand, and gazed tenderly at the man spread out before him. His fingers trailed over Merlin's chest, drawing invisible patterns over his nipples. "Tell me, are you hungry? You must be after all that."

Merlin gave a slight shake of his head. "I'll eat when the sun comes up. Right now I have you." Soon enough Arthur would sleep and he'd be alone for the daytime hours in the knowledge that his lover would wake only under the most extreme conditions. Instead of making any move to sleep or clean up, Merlin burrowed into Arthur's arms and encouraged him to get as close as possible. "I don't need anything but this for now."

Arthur smiled, embracing Merlin and pressing tender kisses to the top of his dark hair. "Neither do I. This is perfect." His hands splayed out across his lover's back, fingers drifting over the length of his spine. The simple act of cradling Merlin in his arms was probably the best chance Arthur ever had of knowing what Heaven felt like. Things were finally clicking into place, becoming solid and real instead of the vampire believing this was all some sort of dream. He and Merlin were together, as it was always meant to be.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**Author's Notes:** In which things get confusing for Mike and Gill.

It didn't take long to get the few things he considered necessary from the house. It amounted to a couple of pictures of his sister, some clothes and a few favorite books. The rest wasn't important, not that there was much else in the room. It seemed like no time at all before Gill was back at Mike's apartment. In fact, when he thought carefully about it, Gill didn't actually remember the trip back. /Just tired./ He looked over and found Mike still slumbering peacefully on the bed. The sight made him smile, so he flipped open the paper he'd found at the front door to kill some time.

The headline made his blood run cold. He read the story once and then again, sure he'd misunderstood somehow, but the words never changed:

FAMILY SLAIN

Domestic Massacre Shocks Lima

Beneath the torrid headline was a picture of his own run down house while a stretcher was being carried through the front door.

Gill's scent greeted him when Mike woke that evening. Although his lover wasn't sleeping next to him, the Asian vampire could sense his presence in the other room. He smiled, overcome with happiness and the warm feeling of having someone to care about again. Easing out of bed, he combed his fingers through his shaggy dark hair, and then tugged on a pair of boxer briefs. He moved up behind Gill, wrapping his arms around him and pressing a kiss to his throat. "Glad I wasn't dreaming, and you're really here," he murmured, only to pause when he felt the tension coiling in the other man's body. "What's wrong? You didn't have any trouble with your parents, did you?"

Gill shook his head mutely before shifting his grip on the paper - his hands were dusty gray from clutching the inky paper too hard for too long - to show Mike what it said. "That's... my house. My... my mom. My stepdad. My sister wasn't home. She found them. It... the weren't..." Sounding confused, he shook his head again. "There wasn't anyone there when I went in... they were..." But his stepfather didn't have a job, so he wouldn't have been at work, would he? That didn't make sense.

Mike's unbeating heart ached for Gill. He gently took the newspaper from his hands, and then tenderly enfolded his lover in his arms. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, offering all of the comfort he could give. A million possibilities of what could have happened flashed rapidly through Mike's mind. Not one of them made any sense. As selfish as it sounded to him, he was grateful that Gill hadn't been present at the time of the attack. He couldn't lose him, not again. The sharp scent of blood distracted him, and Mike tensed. His eyes followed the aroma, settling on Gill's bag. "Gill..." he started, "...what happened?"

"What? I don't know what-" Gill followed Mike's gaze, and his eyes widened slightly at the sight of the crimson spattered along the side of the duffel bag. He shook his head in silent protest and swallowed hard, trembling in Mike's arms. "I... I dunno... I don't know. I swear, I don't-" The words cut off, and Gill stilled entirely. The young man hardly seemed to breathe for a beat, and then sucked in lungfulls of air, almost gasping as his eyes closed and his head fell back against Mike's shoulder. When he opened them again, Gill's eyes were inky black, and a smile slowly spread across his face.

Mike was terrified. Since becoming a vampire he didn't think anything could scare him. But seeing Gill like this sent an icy chill through him. "Gill? What..." He couldn't even finish. Something terrible had happened to Gill. Something Mike couldn't even begin to understand. He'd been a blind fool to believe that the other man could have been resurrected without consequences. It was cruel, unfair, and the Asian vampire wanted to rage at the entire world. He backed away and glared into the dark depths of Gill's eyes. "You're not Gill, are you?"

"Oooo, sharp one. But there's no need to be so cold. Loverboy would be rotting by now if it wasn't for me. You could show at least a little gratitude." Leaning forward with a sinuous grace that didn't match Gill's usual hesitant, almost twitchy manner at all, the creature smiled. "I considered revealing myself earlier, but... hell, I was having fun. So was he. So were you. Seemed like a shame to interrupt. Loverboy doesn't seem to be holding together very well, though, and I thought now might be the time to step in. You and I both know what happened - I'm sure you've put that much together. If it makes you feel any better, you have no idea what they did to him. Well, what his stepfather did. The bitch just didn't stop it. It was easier to ignore it." Tilting his head, the creature regarded Mike with the same calm ease. "The real question now - the one I can't wait to know the answer to - is whether you're going to tell him what he did."

"No!" Mike exclaimed, blanching at the thought of traumatizing Gill. "God, no... I can't tell him that..." He tried to convince himself that this wasn't happening. That is was either a sick joke, or that he was asleep and having a really, really bad nightmare. But those inky black eyes piercing through him were all too real. And Mike gave another shudder over the thought of this... creature... inhabiting Gill's body. "Why him?" he whispered, his eyes brimming with crimson tears. "You said it yourself; he's been through so much. Why did you have to possess him?"

"He was dying... and unlike most of the useless sacks of shit that flock to your kind, he wanted to live. He was begging for it. It was interesting." The creature shrugged and tilted his head, raising one eyebrow. "You'd rather he be dead? That he still be in that hole you dug? Sweet. Sort of. This is a pretty good deal, really. I get some entertainment, a good screw every now and then, and you get Loverboy for as long as you want him. Besides, last time I checked, you were a lot more like me than like him, vamp."

Torn over Gill's fate, Mike found himself at a complete loss over what to do. If he demanded that this creature leave Gill's body, then there would be no bringing his lover back. But could he risk allowing the possession to continue if indiscriminate killings persisted? "What exactly are you?" Mike asked shakily. "A demon, a ghost... or something else?" If he had a little more information-even a tiny fragment of knowing what he was dealing with-then maybe there might be a way of helping Gill. Could he really exorcise this creature and keep Gill at the same time?

"Demon. Like I said, you and I probably have more in common." Leaning back, the creature kicked his feet up on the coffee table and regarded Mike, expression unreadable. "You can get rid of me. Ask me, and I'll leave. You can bury Loverboy again and move on. Hell, maybe that's a better choice for you anyway. I mean, you don't even know the guy's last name. You think I went out and killed some innocent people because the paper says so? That means you don't know what they did. Maybe you really don't know much about Loverboy at all. Kinda sad, really, since he thinks you're the one that finally gets him. Tell you what, I'm gonna turn you over to him. You ask him about it, find out if I'm some psycho that kills everybody I come across or if I was maybe just making the world a nicer place."

No sooner had the demon made the pronouncement than his eyes rolled back and Gill's body shuddered for a moment before stilling. His eyes flashed open, and he looked up, alarmed to find Mike suddenly standing in front of him with tears streaking his face. "What happened? What..." He swallowed hard and looked around as if that might somehow explain what was going on. Finally Gill's gaze, bright blue once more, found Mike's face. "What's going on?"

/Shit!/ How was he supposed to deal with this? He couldn't tell Gill what had really happened. No way in hell! "You passed out," Mike murmured, wiping the streaks of blood trailing down his cheeks. "I... freaked out a little." Relaxing now that Gill was in control again, the Asian vampire sank to his knees before his lover and caressed his warm arms. "You're okay now..." He glanced over at the bag, which was stained with the evidence of the demon's actions. "I don't want you to worry about that. It had nothing to do with you, Gill. I'm sure of that." Mike reached up and cupped the back of the blond's neck. "You're safe, and that's all that matters."

Gill shivered and leaned forward until his forehead touched Mike's. The simple contact was soothing, and he closed his eyes for a moment. "I feel bad for my sister," he finally ventured, eyes opening though he stared at their feet instead of meeting Mike's dark gaze, "but... is it... is it really bad that part of me..." He broke off, swallowing hard, and leaned away again. "Nevermind. Doesn't matter."

"No, it doesn't." Mike tipped his chin up and pressed a soft kiss to Gill's cheek. "I'm truly sorry about what happened. But I want you to try and put it all behind you. Your life starts now, here with me." Frightened that the demon would seize control at any moment, the Asian vampire decided his best course of action was to talk to Damien as soon as possible. His sire was a lot older than him, and Mike hope that meant Damien might have knowledge that would help deal with Gill's unique predicament.

Gill nodded, though he wondered how true that was, what Mike would think of him if he knew everything. "Yeah, maybe it-"

The sound of a firm knock on the door interrupted, and Damien's voice came through the wood, "You home? Just wanted to make sure you were okay after last night."

Mike turned his head at the sound of Damien's voice. A wave of relief washed over him instead of the uncertainty he thought he would feel. Telling Damien about making Gill his own seemed like a small problem in comparison to the demon possessing his lover's body. "Wait here," he told Gill gently. Straightening, Mike padded toward the door and opened it a crack. "Damien, I'm so glad to see you." He glanced over his shoulder at Gill before ticking his attention back to his sire. "Do you mind if we talk outside?" Not waiting for an answer, the Asian vampire hustled out into the hallway and pulled Damien aside. "Something happened last night. Gill... he was dead, but he came back... and... he's possessed by a demon."

Whatever Damien had expected when his childe darted out into the hallway, it wasn't that. The vampire's eyes widened, and he spent a moment thinking through the more obvious questions before settling on, "Does he have any control at all?" If there was nothing of the mortal left at all in the shell that was in Mike's apartment, then their course of action was obvious enough; find a way to destroy the creature. If Gill still existed, at least in part, then the situation would be entirely different. He'd seen the way the whole thing hit Mike the night before, and he wasn't ready to send his childe spiraling back into the darkness. "Has he asked for anything in particular?"

Mike folded his arms around himself, grateful that Damien wasn't angry with him. "Gill's in there," he replied shakily. "The demon only seems to take control when it wants something, and what it seems to want is to live through Gill." Shaking his head, the Asian vampire let out a despairing sigh. "But I can't let this go on. Last night, it killed two people..." He trailed off, not wanting to divulge that the two victims just so happened to be Gill's mother and stepfather. Things were complicated enough. "Gill doesn't remember anything. And that's how I want it to stay." Mike lifted pleading eyes to Damien. "What can we do? I have to help him."

Not wanting to set his childe up for failure, Damien decided that the best thing he could do was be honest. "We may not be able to do anything. If we exorcise the demon, then... then you probably lose Gill too. It's safer if the thing's going around killing for sport. That could come back to us, but you need to know what you're choosing if that's what you really want to do." Damien met Mike's gaze evenly and held it. "I won't even think about figuring out how to do that if you can't accept losing him. I can't make you do that again."

Mike glanced away. "You were right; I should've never gotten involved with a mortal," he said almost bitterly. "But I did, and I don't want to lose him." When he met Damien's gaze again, more bloody tears threatened to fall. "It wouldn't be so bad, right? To keep him, even if it means sharing him with a demon." Mike wasn't sure if he was trying to convince himself or if he was searching for his sire's approval. "I... I can watch him, make sure he doesn't kill anyone..." If it sounded pathetic and selfish, Mike didn't care. It wasn't too much to ask to keep Gill, even if it meant sharing him with a demon. Was it?

Before he even thought about answering, Damien pulled the other vampire into a warm embrace. He couldn't help but feel he had failed Mike. If he'd been paying better attention, maybe he could have headed things off before it became too serious the way he had with Blaine. Now his childe was paying dearly for his inattention. As he drew back, Damien pressed a gentle kiss to Mike's lips that was more affectionate than romantic. "I can speak with him if you like. If you're going to do this, keep him alive... he'll need to know. It may even give Gill help in learning to control the demon somewhat if he's strong enough."

"No, please... don't tell him," Mike begged, catching Damien by the arm. "I don't want him to know... not yet." He shook his head, his eyes pleading and brimming with crimson. "If he finds out, I don't know what it'll do to him. And I can't hurt him that way, even when none of it's his fault." Close to falling into despair, Mike was at a complete loss over what to do. Only one thing he was sure of: now was not the time to divulge the demonic possession to Gill. "Give me a few days, then we can try and help him... please, Damien?"

Damien sighed heavily, angry with himself for even considering saying yes to the plea, but finally he nodded. "Alright. Fine. But... be careful. You don't know what it can do, and you don't know how long this charade will be interesting to it. Bored demons are dangerous." Again he drew Mike in close. "I'm sorry that I didn't protect you from this." More than anything, he wanted to charge into the apartment and get the demon as far away from Mike as possible, but he knew that would destroy Mike's happiness as surely as the creature could himself. As he finally let his childe go again, Damien met his gaze evenly. "I mean it. Be careful. Until we know more... tread lightly. Go along when it's safe to."

"I'll be careful, I promise," agreed Mike with a firm nod of his head. He felt relieved. At least he now had a few days to break the news to Gill instead of traumatizing his lover any more than he already was. "Thank you, Damien. I mean it." The Asian vampire rested his hands on his sire's shoulders, offering a gentle squeeze of appreciation. "If anything happens, I know you'll come running." He pressed a soft kiss to Damien's cheek, then said goodbye and rejoined Gill. Smiling, and not wanting to alarm the mortal, Mike hurried back to his side. "Everything's okay," he quickly assured him. "Damien knows you're here, and he wasn't angry. We're going to be fine."

That was a bigger relief than Gill had thought it would be, and he relaxed visibly only to shake his head a second later. "No, it isn't. I.. I mean, what kind of fucked up person isn't freaked out by their parents being killed?" He was upset, but more because of his own reaction than the facts of the situation. He'd already cut his ties, and only concern for Lumen even touched on his heart. There were tears in Gill's eyes as he shook his head. "There's something wrong with me."

"You've just been through a lot, baby," Mike soothed, caressing the back of Gill's neck. He didn't show the slightest hint of fear or worry over the demon regaining control. The last thing he wanted to do was alert Gill to the possibility that he was right; there was something terribly wrong with him. "I'm sorry about yours parents, but we need to take care of you right now." Gathering his lover up into an embrace, Mike cradled and rocked him back and forth on the sofa. He refused to believe there was no hope of saving Gill. Somehow, someway he would find a way for them to stay together.

"'M sorry," Gill murmured against the vampire's chest. He needed the closeness too much to reject it, so instead he burrowed in as close as possible and wond his arms around Mike's slender waist. "Figured at least it would be awhile before I started being too much trouble." Even more quietly, he confessed, "I don't want to be like this." He was tired of being a mess. Being with Mike was supposed to be a turning point. He was supposed to get better. With that thought in mind, Gill drew himself up and wiped his eyes. "We should be celebrating. I mean... tonight's special, right? First night with the two of us like this."

"That's right," Mike smiled, and he reached up to brush his thumb across Gill's damp cheek. "Tonight's going to be wonderful. You know what we should do? Go shopping. I don't have a thing for you to eat." As an afterthought Mike wondered if it was a good idea taking his possessed lover into town. If the demon emerged and started running amok, then he would be putting innocent people in danger. /No, can't think about that now. Gotta keep pretending everything's okay./ "How about we both get ourselves cleaned up? Then we can raid a grocery store and be back here in no time."

"Sounds good." Gill wasn't thrilled with the idea of behaving himself, but he was eager to be done with errands and back to the apartment with Mike. It felt safer, the two of them safe and sound alone without anyone else. Still he showered and dressed in some of the fresh clothes from his bag. Everything he owned looked as if it should have been thrown out some time before, but Gill had nothing new to replace any of it with. "We don't need to get anything fancy. I don't know how to cook a whole lot. Mac and cheese, sandwiches, ramen... I make a pretty decent scrambled egg."

The trip was easy, smooth. It was almost strange how casual and normal it felt doing something so domestic with Mike. Gill couldn't help but throw blushing smiles the vampire's way every few seconds. No one could doubt precisely how they were involved from his giddy attraction alone. By the time they got home, Gill thought he might lose it if he didn't get closer to the man again. It was too much being separated even slightly from Mike. He forced himself to get the groceries unpacked and put away before fairly launching himself into the vampire's arms and kissing him hungrily.

Mike would have gasped in surprise if he had the breathe to give. He found himself reeling off balance from the force of Gill's kiss. And his arms eagerly snaked around his lover, not only to embrace him, but to ground himself before he toppled over. He cradled the back of Gill's head, while their tongues settled in for a heated duel. Mike only broke the wonderful contact when he realized that Gill's lungs were probably close to bursting for air. "Now, what's this all about?" he chuckled lustily. "Here I thought you might be hungry, and all the time you just wanted to take advantage of me." Mike's eyes sparkled. "Not that I'm complaining."

Gill's stomach rumbled loudly, but he just shrugged and smiled. "I'll eat later. Food's not going anywhere." The draw of enjoying their time together was far more intoxicating than the idea of any meal. It was as if Gill suspected he had to cram every last second possible of pleasure into every moment they spent together because the whole thing might fall apart at any moment. And it could. He knew that. But for the time being, he had Mike, and that was a far more beautiful thing than he'd ever really hoped for. "Maybe we can even make it all the way to the bed this time." He glanced over the vampire's shoulder. "Then again, we've got a perfectly good counter right here."

Mike arched a brow, and a lusty smile spread itself across his face. It was definitely Gill talking, not the demon. That alone made him relax, as well as stoke the fires of his deep desire for the other man. His arms still wrapped snugly around Gill, he effortlessly lifted his lover and deposited him on the counter. Then, the Asian vampire insinuated himself between Gill's legs with an audible groan. He leaned forward, brushing their lips together teasingly. "Now, is this okay? Or would you prefer the bed?"

"Here's good. Real good." Gill wrapped his arms around his lover's neck and scooted forward on the counter until they were pressed together again. "Anyplace where I'm with you is good." If they'd been curled up on the corner together it would have been fine so long as they had each other. Gill leaned in and slid his lips across the vampire's, then kissed along the line to his ear. "I prefer you. I want you. Love you." Being romantic wasn't his strong suit, but it still felt good saying it and being completely honest.

Mike never realized how thrilling it could be to hear those words until they flowed from Gill's mouth. It also made him ache that much more knowing that his mortal lover was currently possessed by a demon. He hid his distress well, covering it with amorous intentions. "I love you too," he whispered meaningfully. "I think I did the moment we met." It was true. Although he had been looking for a snack that fateful night. There was something about Gill that had drawn him in, captured him, and made him feel things he once thought were elusive for a vampire.

Gill couldn't help smiling at that. "Yeah... yeah, me too," he whispered in return before kissing the vampire gently. "Never felt like this with anybody else." For much of his life, Gill had wondered if he even could fall in love or if whatever kept his parents from really caring affected him too. He'd suspected that he was broken beyond any kind of repair only to find that Gill's touch soothed his soul perfectly. "I just wanna be with you. Long as I can be, I wanna be right here."

It shattered Mike to hear those words. He should have been rejoicing, he should have been deliriously happy... Instead, all he could feel was sadness knowing that Gill was only here with him thanks to an insidious demon. "I'm not going to let you go," he promised, cupping the back of Gill's neck. "No matter what happens." Mike realized that Gill had no idea what he was referring to. Instead of drowning in a tidal wave of emotion, he kissed his lover instead. The Asian vampire shifted against the warmth of the mortal's body, losing himself in desire.

The odd words were lost in Gill's mind. He couldn't think of anything but how amazing it was to have Mike touching him again. "Want you to fuck me," he purred in the vampire's ear. "I want to feel you." He wanted to forget that he'd been stupid enough to let anyone else touch him. He didn't want that ever again. Letting vampires feed from him had been a rush. It had come close to filling the void inside, at least sometimes, but being with Mike made him truly happy. "Can I, baby? Can I have you?"

"You can have anything you want," Mike readily agreed. "You never even have to ask." More kisses followed, sweet and tender but no less heated. His hands worked around and splayed across Gill's back, roaming up and down the length of his spine. It was deceptively easy to forget that his lover was possessed by a demon. Gill was still in control, however, and that brought Mike some peace of mind. He would never give up the hope of finding someway to save Gill. Desire overtaking his senses, Mike's long, elegant fingers dipped into the back of the mortal's jeans. And he teased that secret placed between the cheeks of that amazing ass.

Gill let out a shaky moan to show his approval before reaching between them and unfastening his jeans, the band falling loose to allow Mike's hand free reign to explore. "Same goes for you. You can always ask," he assured before kissing Mike's lips gently. "I know I'm not good at the romantic stuff, but I feel that way. With you, I do. I want you to know that." The way he talked and acted, Gill knew it was hard to read anything but the surface sometimes. He wanted to learn how to be intimate and sexy at the same time, to show Mike that he didn't just want him, he _needed _him.

Mike's questing fingers eased further between Gill's luscious backside. And the Asian vampire trembled as he felt Gill's quivering opening beneath the pad of his digits. "I've never been a great romantic either," he confessed, nipping teasingly at his lover's throat. "Before I was turned, I would have never even admitted I liked other guys. But, with you, it goes way beyond liking. That's what I want you to know, and remember." Mike drew back, gazing into Gill's eyes before leaning back in and brushing their lips together. He kissed him with a passion that was guaranteed to steal his breath away.

He knew that he would. He'd remember everything Mike had ever said to him because no one had ever said things like them before. The best he'd gotten were lewd comments and mumbled groans of pleasure. It was nothing like this. Gill pushed himself back into Mike's touch and felt the finger penetrating him shallowly. The sensation teased perfectly what was to come as they progressed through the evening. He couldn't wait to have Mike inside him again, but he would. The moment being properly intimate mattered more. Gill did the best he could to focus on the kisses, lingering, passionate, and cloyingly sweet.

Mike had never experienced anything like this before. Not with Tina, or Damien, or none of the mortals he'd encountered in search of blood. Gill's life had been filled with loneliness, constantly searching for something to fill the void. And Mike longed to be that missing piece of the puzzle. To give Gill everything he'd been missing. "I want you," he murmured between kisses, "I want you naked..." The Asian vampire continued to tease his lover's fluttering opening, while his free hand worked to free Gill of his shirt. As soon as the mortal's chest was exposed, Mike was lunging forward and capturing a tempting nipple between his lips.

While Mike's delicate tongue worked his nipple, Gill did his best to kick free of his jeans. It wasn't easy the way they were tangled together and with Mike around and inside him already, but he finally managed to shuck them. The denim fell to the floor and Gill relaxed to let himself enjoy the chilly comfort of his lover's body. "Need you naked too," he reminded Mike, though reluctantly. It would mean the loss of closeness for a second to clear away the last of the fabric separating them. "Nothing but skin. Just you and me and the bed."

As far as Mike was concerned, those were the most beautiful words anyone had ever said to him. He raised himself up, then lunged forward and recaptured Gill's full, soft mouth. Lifting the mortal effortlessly from the counter, the Asian vampire carried his precious bundle into the bedroom and deposited him on the mattress. Mike often found himself warring with his baser instincts; he hungered for blood and the instant gratification it brought. But, with Gill, he ached to take his time and enjoy every moment he possibly could. Stripping off his clothes, Mike proudly displayed his chiseled dancer's body and his wanton erection jutting out before him. Then, he was crawling onto the bed and groaning as he covered Gill's body with his own. "There, that's much better," he decided with a lusty chuckle.

"Feels better," Gill agreed. The feeling of Mike against him was bliss. "Never been with anybody as hot as you. You should be in pornos or something. Well, I mean, you should if I'd share you, but... don't think I wanna." He wasn't a possessive person. His own promiscuity and need to be fed upon meant that he could be very understanding. Besides that, he'd never so much as attempted a relationship before. The thought stayed Gill's lust for a moment. His expression darkened, and he ventured thoughtfully, "I know you'll hafta drink from, y'know, other people, but... I don't... I don't wanna be with anybody else, and..." Considering everything he'd done, Gill couldn't finish the thought. He knew he didn't have any right to ask Mike to be faithful when he hadn't been.

Mike smiled gently, and pressed reassuring kisses all over Gill's handsome face. "Well, I don't want to be with anyone else either," he replied, combing his fingers through the mortal's hair. "And that includes feeding. When I can't bite you, I can settle for True Blood. It's nowhere near as good as the real thing. But you're the only one I want to drink from." With that said, the Asian vampire recaptured that lovely mouth and kissed Gill with a breathtaking passion. He was so in love that his intense feelings blinded him to the problem of Gill's possession. For tonight, he didn't have to worry so long as the demon stayed in check.

Gill didn't realize he'd been holding his breath until Mike spoke the words and he let it out in a sigh of relief. The young man responded to the sweet kisses eagerly. He licked his way into Mike's mouth and cupped the other man's ass tightly in his hands. Already Gill felt his lover's hard cock prodding against his thigh, a silent, insistent promise of what he'd be getting soon enough. He tried to communicate with every flick of his tongue and slide of his hips how glad he was that they had found each other, to infuse every second with the feeling of belonging that struck him every time Mike's lips touched his.

Mike tasted and felt Gill's passion with every kiss and each caress. He thrust shallowly against his lover, just enough to create healthy friction and leave them both yearning for more. "Gill," he moaned, trailing his lips along the mortal's jawline before descending onto his throat. Sucking, licking, and nibbling at the recent bite mark, the Asian vampire reached between their writhing bodies in search of Gill's rigid length. The feverish cock fairly leapt into his grasp, and Mike wasted no time in stroking the other man from base to tip and back again. "I'm going to kiss every inch of you," he promised in a low purr. "I'm going to show you how much I love you. Give you everything you need."

Gill felt the pleasure vibrate through him at the thought and nodded his acceptance immediately. He wanted that. He wanted it badly. "Please?" he whispered in a voice far gentler and more vulnerable than his usual rough tone. With Mike he didn't have to pretend to be or feel anything he didn't, and it was a surprisingly heavy relief. It was finally coming home and being part of something he'd ached for his whole life, something he hadn't realized he missed until finding Mike. "I'm yours. Y'can do what you want and... and I want that. I want you."

"I want you too," Mike affirmed huskily. "You're all I want, all I ever think about." His hands continued to roam all over Gill's body, which shuddered and was feverish to the touch. Fingers teasing between his lover's quivering thighs, Mike brushed Gill's twitching length and heaving balls before dipping lower and playing between those mouthwatering ass cheeks. "It's so tempting to take you right here, right now," he confessed, pressing more kisses along his lover's throat. "But I want this to last as long as possible. Watch you come all night for me."

"You can... if anybody can, it's you." Gil shivered at the idea of Mike riding him for hours, of the vampire's lips and tongue teasing him until he lost it over and over. No one had ever taken that kind of time to pleasure him before. But he could see the sincerity written on Mike's face and couldn't help smiling in return. "Bet you could talk me into cumming for you. Just your voice... fuck, everything you do gets me hot."

Mike warmed at the praise, finding his already ravenous hunger for Gill increasing with each passing moment. "Same goes for you," he purred, nibbling at an ear. "I could cum just looking at you." He dipped teasing fingers along his lover's warm, inviting trench. And the Asian vampire delighted in the tremor of excitement that quaked through Gill's shivering little opening. "Do you really think you can get off from my voice? Maybe we should try it? After all, I did promise to make you cum all night long."

Though Gill's stomach clenched with pleasure at the teasing touch, the idea was definitely intriguing. "Yeah. Yeah, we can try," he agreed, eyes so dark that they were nearly black as they gazed at the vampire. "Try anything with you." He'd had never been reserved when it came to trying things sexually, he'd just never had a real opportunity since most of his sexual encounters had lasted ten minutes or less.

Nuzzling Gill's throat, Mike continued to let his fingers swirl playfully over his lover's hyper-sensitive flesh. "You're so beautiful," he murmured, his tongue flicking over last night's bite marks. "Everything about you drives me crazy, makes me so hard..." As it to illustrate his point, the Asian vampire writhed against the mortal, his aching length pressing itself insistently against Gill's leg. "Feel that? Do you like it when I fuck you? Making you cum so hard?"

Gill nodded, then realized that wasn't what the vampire was looking for. "Yes... yeah, I love it. Love feeling you inside me." He'd had a lot of guys in the past. It wasn't hard to get fed from and laid at the same time or at least in quick succession. The act of feeding was sexual in and of itself if done right, and given that he got off so thoroughly on that, the two went naturally hand in hand. Being with Mike got him off on more levels than the obvious ones. Shifting so that he could feel that hard length pressing into his thigh more firmly, Gill sighed. "I want you all the time. Just... to be with you... touch you... anything."

Mike's groan was muffled against Gill's throat. He found it increasingly difficult to simply talk his lover into climax, especially when his desire to taste Gill's body was so strong. Licking at that wonderful, warm neck, the Asian vampire twisted around until he was covering Gill's body with his own. Their swollen lengths brushed, wrenching a sharp moan of pleasure from Mike's throat. "That's how I feel too," he confessed, writhing against Gill. "I love you, and you make me completely crazy. Being with you... it's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Gill smiled at the words and threaded his fingers into Mike's hair. "Y'can try the talking thing another time. Right now I want you inside me." In theory the idea had been enticing, but in practice, Gill's natural impatience drove him, aching, to want more when it was so close at hand. "Is that... is it okay? Just want you so much." He bit his lip and swallowed only to part his lips again to seek a sloppy, hungry kiss from Mike a second later.

"Want you too," Mike replied, licking at Gill's sinfully sweet mouth. "Sometimes.. it's scary how much I need you." He reached between their married bodies, closing his hand around both of their aching lengths. It sent a sharp jolt of pleasure through the Asian vampire, and he visibly trembled against his mortal lover. "It's... it's not all about sex... I... I hope you know that..." It was ever so slightly difficult to make that sound truthful when both he and Gill were so worked up. But Mike meant every word.

"I know," Gill answered as earnestly as he could manage when he was panting with every breath and clinging to Mike as if he might shake apart otherwise. Though he knew that sex and love were related, he also knew how far apart they could be. For the first time, Gill found himself in someone's arms knowing that they cared about him and feeling the same way in return. "Makes it better. The sex, I mean, it's... it is better like this." Knowing that Mike would be there the next night whatever happened infused Gill with a new sense of freedom that left him humming with energy. "Everything feels better with you."

Mike's grin nearly split his face in two. His fangs inadvertently appeared, and the Asian vampire managed to kiss his lover without piercing his lover's mouth. He licked over Gill's tongue, relishing the taste of him with a soft groan. After a long moment he drew back and gazed into Gill's stormy eyes. "I never thought I could love anyone... not like this," he confessed, stroking his hands over the other man's heaving chest. "I think it's time to so you just how much, don't you?" Unwilling to wait for a response, Mike started to kiss his way down the length of Gill's torso.

"Definitely," Gill agreed without the slightest hesitation. The feeling of Mike's cool lips moving over his skin was exactly what he'd been needing. He hadn't known he could need a person as much as he'd always needed things, the way he'd needed the release of cutting or the delicious pleasure-pain of being bitten. But now he needed Mike more than he'd ever wanted any of that. "Do whatever you want. I just want you. I just wanna be with you." There were actually tears in his eyes, but Gill knew that for once they had nothing to do with being sad.

"That's what I want, too," Mike murmured, pressing soft kisses all over Gill's heaving chest. Seeing the happiness glimmering in the mortal's eyes only made the fact of Gill's possession that much harder to take in. He pushed his concerns out of his mind with an effort. Tonight wasn't the time to worry. He had Gill, and Gill had him. That was all that mattered. "You're everything I've always wanted. I just didn't know till I found you." Moving further down, the Asian vampire took his lover in hand and caressed him tenderly. His tongue flicked out, swirling over the swollen tip, while his gaze never left Gill's face.

Gill didn't let his eyes waver from the vampire's for even a moment. He needed to see every last second. Used to being taken quickly, to skipping all preliminaries, Gill had to fight the urge to tell Mike that what he was doing wasn't necessary, that he didn't need to be so sweet or so careful. Because he needed it whether it was necessary or not. They needed to share things together that maybe they hadn't shared before. /I don't know that. Maybe he's had somebody before.../ It didn't matter. They had now. "I didn't either. Didn't realize I wanted this. I don't think... I don't think I would with anybody else."

Those heartfelt words made it almost impossible for Mike to wait a moment longer. His love and his desire for Gill were much too strong. "Now, need you now," he rasped, taking himself in hand and brushing the drooling tip of his cock against his lover's twitching entrance. Gill's body responded in kind, stretching open and allowing him inside with little effort. He moaned the mortal's name in a reverent tone as he was completely sheathed in a blanket of warm ecstasy. "Yes, oh god... Gill..." Mike cradled the back of his head, drawing him into a kiss filled with scorching passion.

Gill gasped his own pleasure as Mike's tongue mimicked the action of his cock, claiming his mouth thoroughly. As always the cool, delicious sensation of Mike's body against his own woke every nerve ending on Gill's body. The thick stretch left him panting for breath that Gill wasn't even sure he really needed. Maybe the dead shouldn't need to eat and breathe. Maybe it was reflex. The troubling thoughts crowded in for only a second before Mike's talented tongue drove all else from his mind. Gill welcomed the oblivion with open arms.

Perfection. It rang true as Mike fairly melted into Gill's welcoming embrace. Nothing he had ever experienced could possibly compare to the supreme bliss of being with Gill. Their tongues tangled in a feverish duel, while the Asian vampire's hips began to churn and his cock, swollen with borrowed blood, plunged into the mortal's grasping channel. One hand rested on Gill's hip, while the other carded his hair. He realized that his lover needed to breathe, and he broke the kiss only to latch onto Gill's throat. Licking and nibbling, Mike completely lost himself in the ecstasy of making love to this incredible man.

The sensation of Mike's gentle lips against his throat reminded Gill of darker pleasures, and he shivered as they moved together. He hadn't missed the breath until he had it, but it seemed that his lungs wanted the air whether they truly needed it or not. "You can... you can drink if you want." It wasn't, Gill realized, necessary. He could cum easily with Mike whether the man hurt him or not, but he wouldn't lie and pretend that he didn't enjoy it. Feeding Mike and sharing every possible intimacy with him made Gill feel amazing.

Mike found it near impossible to control his baser vampire instincts when he made love with Gill. His lover waved temptation before him, inviting him to feed. His fangs appeared, and the hunger to drink Gill's essence nearly overwhelmed him. He nuzzled the mortal's throat, breathing in his rich, intoxicating scent with a soft growl. Pressing tender kisses along a throbbing vein, the Asian vampire reached between their bodies and grasped Gill's dripping length. "Love you," he whispered, licking teasingly at his neck. "Want you..."

"You've got me," Gill assured, wrapping his arms around the man's slightly chilly body and holding him fast. "Got all of me. Everything." He wasn't sure he had much to give, but everything he had left - his life, such as it was, his body, his mind, and his heart all definitely belonged to Mike. Gently Gill rocked up into Mike's hand before sinking back and taking every last inch of his cock again. As his passion grew, Gill panted, "Do it," unable to hold back his desire to have his lover's teeth claiming him as thoroughly his cock was doing.

Slowly, Mike pierced Gill's warm, soft flesh with his fangs, and he groaned as his mouth filled with his lover's blood. Rich and sweet, it still possessed a hint of wrongness thanks to the demon, but was delicious all the same. His hips churned in an erotic rhythm of lust, and vast shivers of pleasure coursed over the Asian vampire's body as he simultaneously fed and fucked. He could sense the same intense ecstasy coursing through Gill, and it thrilled Mike knowing that he and he alone could send the mortal into fits of wild desire.

Gill panted, blissfully overwhelmed by the sensation of Mike drinking deeply from his body and claiming him. A few strokes more and Gill gasped as his release powered closer and closer. Passion pooled inside him and coiled tighter with each passing moment until his cock throbbed with an insistent beat all its own. "So close. Mike, I'm gonna... I... oh, god, you're gonna make me cum, baby... gonna... I'm..." He knew that he was barely making any sense. He also knew it didn't matter. Gill's fingernails dragged harshly over Mike's back as his hips began to move out of control.

Mike growled uncontrollably, the sounds of pleasure muffled against Gill's throat. He could taste the desire lacing his lover's succulent blood, smell the heat of passion wafting from his body. More intoxicating than anything he had ever known, the Asian vampire lost himself in the moment, claiming Gill totally and completely. His thrusts intensified, and Mike began to stroke the mortal with each caress of his own raging length. "Cum for me," he gasped, licking at the fresh wound. "Let me feel you, please... please cum for me..." Dangerously close himself, he covered Gill's panting mouth with his own, thrusting his tongue deep inside, offering him a taste of his own blood.

The coppery tang coated Gill's tongue as he finally gasped and groaned his way to completion. Gill's fingers clenched into the Asian vampire's silky dark hair as his own tongue twisted passionately around his lover's. He didn't care about the blood and his own taste there. He only cared about the flavor of Mike beneath it all. Even as he shuddered through the pulsing of his own cock Gill did his best to clench himself tight around Mike to drive the vampire just as crazy. Silently he pleaded for the bliss of sharing the release.

Nothing in the world could ever compare to the exquisite beauty of Gill exploding in spasms of ecstasy. He drank in the sights, sounds, and sensations while staving off his own climax in order to enjoy his lover's tormented pleasure. Finally, the spasming of Gill's tender passage around his aching length became too much for even a vampire to bear. And Mike spilled over in torrents of pent-up lust, filling the mortal to overflowing with the evidence of his passion. He came and came, shuddering atop his lover as he continued to thrust repeated until he was spent. Even then, his mouth kept mauling Gill's, stealing what little breath he had away.

Gill couldn't breathe, and he didn't care. He sucked on his lover's tongue until he began to feel weak with the need for oxygen. Only then did Gill drew back enough to suck in a breath. "Oh, fuck, the things you do... never cum so hard. Never with anybody. Fuck..." Gill grinned widely at the other man and cupped Mike's face in his hands. The words weren't romantic, but the lingering kiss that followed was. He nipped at Mike's lips, kissing and licking gently as if to soothe away the fervor of a few moments earlier.

It shattered Mike knowing that Gill was deliriously happy with him, and yet he could not bring himself to tell the mortal that he was possessed by a demonic force. Somehow he believed he would find a way to save Gill, otherwise he saw no point in continuing his own existence. He loved him too much to be without him. Gill's delicious attention brought him back to the moment, and Mike groaned into the lavish kisses. "I want to spend forever making you feel this way," he murmured, brushing his fingers through Gill's warm, damp hair. "Here, for you..." Pricking his finger on a fang, the Asian vampire pressed the offering to the mortal's gloriously bruised lips.

Gill didn't hesitate before sucking the finger between his lips and licking away the blood gathered there. Oddly the desperate need for vampiric blood was an obsession he'd never fallen prey to, but that didn't make it any less intoxicating. It turned him on all the more knowing he was sharing something so intimate with Mike. Eventually he let go and smiled again before finding Mike's lips, wanting that as much as anything else. The warmth of pleasure satisfied and a night spent with the man he loved were making Gill's eyes heavy. "So glad I get to be here with you... sleep here with you." He sighed and kept his arms tight around Mike's muscular form. "Get t'be here when you wake up... s'nice," he murmured, the words growing sluggish as he fought to keep his eyes open.

"Me too, beautiful," Mike whispered, nuzzling Gill's kiss-bruised mouth with his own. "I wouldn't have it any other way." He eased himself free, only to roll over onto his side and drag the mortal's flushed and glistening body into his arms again. "Now, when you wake up I want you to eat, okay?" His long, elegant fingers combed tenderly through Gill's hair. "You've got to take care of yourself. For me, alright?" There was hidden meaning behind those words. Concerned for Gill's well-being had become Mike's top priority. And he knew his lover would have to be strong to eventually fight the demon possessing him. "Close your eyes," he urged softly. "I'll be right here."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**Author's Notes:** In which Finn is once again a little less than bright and Kurt rushes out to save the day… then things get complicated.

Finn had already put an enormous distance between himself and the house. He was drawn toward Damien like a magnet, and he had no intention of turning back now. The urge to be bitten and fed upon again was so great that he could barely take a step without trembling. All too soon, however, he became aware of being followed. And Finn turned on his heels to confront his pursuer. "Kurt!" he cried out. "Go back home. Leave me the fuck alone, okay? I don't need you babysitting me, especially when you can't even take care of yourself." It wasn't Finn talking, because Finn Hudson would have balked at the slightest harshest word toward his stepbrother. The hunger to be a vampire's prey had taken over. And he would do anything-say anything-to get rid of Kurt.

Kurt's eyes flashed, and he closed the distance between them. The sudden flare of anger was good. He clung to it since it kept him from thinking about the fact that they were close to the bar, close to Blaine's apartment, so close that he could barely keep himself from sprinting away from Finn to find the vampire and beg for forgiveness. "Is that so? One of us has been trying to get back to normal. One of us has been moping around over someone whose name he doesn't even remember, someone who left him for dead on a doorstep and then tried to kill him again." Letting the anger flow through him until he was almost vibrating with rage, Kurt shook his finger at the other teen. "If he wanted you, he wouldn't have done this, and you know it! You're being an idiot, and I'm just trying to keep you from getting yourself killed!"

"Me?" If Finn had been in his right frame of mind, then he would have been proud to see his stepbrother stranding up for himself. As it was, his senses were clouded with only thoughts of Damien. And the jock lashed out angrily at Kurt. "You're the one who lied to all of us! Sneaking out and seeing that vampire you can't stop thinking about. How the hell do you think I got like this in the first place? Because I was out looking for you!" His words bit into the night air, cold and harsh. Finn's fists clenched, and he was taken aback to discover that he was ready to do anything-anything at all-to be with Damien again. Then, he stopped short. Nearby, somewhere in the darkness, came a pitiful moan. It seemed to snap Finn back to his old self. And he bit his lip, looking pale and decidedly guilty over his verbal assault. Again, the cry floated toward his ears. "What... was that?" he whispered to Kurt, as if the heated exchange had never taken place.

Though he was still vibrating with anger, the sound of pain was enough to shake Kurt out of the moment as well... especially since the low groan sounded so familiar. His heart clenched, and Kurt started running without a thought of saying something to Finn. What he saw when he rounded the corner to the alley only made him feel that much worse. The shock of curly dark hair was all too familiar, but the horrific bands of red across Blaine's skin that were lined with what was apparently silver chain made him feel ill. "Get away from him!" Kurt shrieked to the dirty-looking pair hovering over Blaine. One of them had an IV in the vampire's arm draining away his blood.

Kurt didn't even realize what was happening, but his bright eyes began to glow an electric blue. Anger and a strange sense of power flowed through him as Kurt's fists clenched at his sides. The drainers, who had been glaring at him a moment before, paled at the sight. They still didn't move, and Kurt drew in a breath. As he let it out, Kurt thrust his hand out in a warning gesture. It proved more than a simple warning. The male drainer was thrown hard back against the brick wall by an unseen force while his partner screamed. Kurt looked at his own hand in surprise but did his best to recover quickly, at least outwardly. "If you know what's good for you, you'll leave and turn yourselves in. NOW!" The resounding shout seemed to jar both of the criminals from their sudden fear-induced stupor.

They were soon gone, and Kurt threw himself onto the ground next to the vampire. "Blaine? Sweetheart, please... are you... are you okay?" As he spoke, Kurt carefully began to peel away the silver. His stomach turned at the way Blaine's flesh looked beneath the confining and deceptively delicate chains. He impulsively lifted Blaine's marred hand to his lips and kissed it. "Blaine?"

Snapping out of his glamor-induced stupor, Finn helped to run the drainers off. His size gave him a distinct advantage of intimidation, even if Finn had no idea who or what drainers were. As the group disappeared into the night with an IV bag filled with vampire blood, Finn hurried to his stepbrother's side. It was almost as if the argument between them had never happened. He had never been more proud of Kurt in that moment. But, as the jock dropped to his knees, his gaze fell upon the rich, dark pools of blood. And Finn's mind clouded over again...

"Kurt?" It was little more than a hoarse whisper. Blaine sensed his lover's presence, and he tried in vein to reach out for him. But he was far too weak. He didn't even have the energy to open his eyes.

Finn, meanwhile, instinctively knew exactly what was wrong with the vampire. Maybe it was due to his intense connection with Damien, or something else entirely. Either way, he reached for the fallen switchblade that had been left behind. And, without a second thought, he slice his wrist and pressed the wound against Blaine's lips. Euphoria washed over Finn, who trembled at the touch of those soft, cool lips. It wasn't the same as being fed upon by Damien-or Mike, for that matter-but the same sense of excitement he had been missing gripped him.

It happened so quickly that Kurt didn't even have a chance to reach out to stop Finn as the blade lashed across his skin. A thousand thoughts ran through his mind from jealousy to gratitude to a lecture about how stupid it was to use the knife when they had no idea where it had been. Kurt stifled all of the reactions with an extreme effort and continued his shaky efforts to remove all of the silver. Finally the chain was free of Blaine's flesh, and he shoved the length into his pocket. Already some of the wounds were slowly beginning to knit, though the angry red cast hadn't yet left the pale skin. Kurt found himself clutching Blaine's hand tightly in his own. "Finn, that's enough." His stepbrother had lost too much recently to be able to afford to give up much blood no matter what Blaine might need - or what Finn might want. The command seemed to have no effect, and Kurt put as much force into his tone as he could given the situation as he repeated, "Stop."

Kurt's order fell on deaf ears; Finn was too far-gone to stop. He shivered and moaned, lost in the feeling of the vampire feeding ravenously on his blood. Blaine found himself similarly lost; his hunger insatiable. With his strength slowly returning, he reached up and grasped Finn's arm, holding it to his mouth and drinking greedily as the crimson elixir flowed over his lips. His mind fogged, and there was only one goal: to sate his hunger. Blood, rich and sweet, warmed him, and Blaine's baser vampiric instincts took hold. He started to grow aroused from the feeding, now heedless that an anxious Kurt was kneeling beside him. His groans of desire echoed Finn's, who did not care that as the vampire's heath returned his own flagged dangerously.

"STOP!" The command was more than a suggestion this time. Kurt could feel the strange power from earlier flowing through him and gave Finn what he'd intended to be a gentle shove that ended with Finn being thrown back forcefully from the vampire and very nearly into the brick wall. It hadn't been what he intended, but it was better than nothing. He hurried to Finn's side, eyes back to their normal color and thoroughly shaken by the whole thing. /What's wrong with me?/ He couldn't think, couldn't even begin to formulate any sort of a theory as he reached for his stepbrother's arm. "Finn?" Kurt pulled his jacket off and wrapped it around the other teen's arm to quickly staunch the flow of blood.

Finn blinked up at Kurt, dazed and confused. He opened his mouth to speak, only to immediately close it again. Hurt and drained, he glanced down and was shocked to see the state of his arm, which Kurt was taking great care of. How had he hurt himself? Finn honestly couldn't remember. He glanced past his stepbrother, catching his breath at the sight of the shirtless vampire stirring on the ground. "What... what happened?" he managed in a hoarse whisper. "Is that... Blaine?" The blood ringing fallen figure's mouth sparked a memory, and Finn glanced down at the red stain seeping through Kurt's jacket. He'd obviously cut himself to feed the vampire. But knowing it still shocked him.

Blaine, his fangs still bared, had felt a momentary pang of rage over being denied blood. Only he still felt weak, and the lust he felt to drink more left him helpless. "Kurt?" he called out, searching for his lover. Had he dreamed that the mortal had found him? No, he could still smell that intoxicating scent that was distinctly Kurt Hummel nearby. Blaine tried to move, tried to get to him... only to fall back with a groan.

"Don't stop holding this," Kurt ordered Finn, only letting go of the jacket when he was sure that Finn understood the command. The pain in Blaine's voice was too much. He moved to the vampire's side at once and couldn't help reaching down to take his hand again. The simple contact was heartbreaking. It was so easy, so right, and Kurt wondered if he'd ever be able to make himself let go again. Though it had been the last thing on his mind when he came over, Blaine's obvious weakness and continued pallor prompted him to ask softly, "Do you need more? You can have it. You need to heal. They took... I think they took a lot of blood."

Blaine was tempted. Oh, he was so tempted to accept Kurt's offer. He longed to taste him again, to be close to him, and to love him. But... it was far to dangerous. Jeremiah was dead, and Blaine feared that he would lose control all over again. "No," he croaked, licking the residue of Finn's blood from his lips. "Thank you, Kurt... no, I can't... I'll be fine." The vampire struggled to his feet-grasping Kurt's warm, comforting hand-only to collapse to his knees. "I have to get back home," he insisted, cursing himself for his folly. "Damien, he can help me."

At the mention of Damien's name Finn perked up. Clutching Kurt's makeshift bandage, he fought against a rush of dizziness as he moved closer to the pair. "We can help," he told Blaine. "Between us, we can get you home."

Kurt hesitated given Finn's condition but then nodded. "He's right. We can help." With his stepbrother's help, they got Blaine to his feet and began the slow trek back to his apartment. It was difficult not to get closer, difficult not to press kisses to Blaine's hair and whisper that it would be fine, that he wouldn't leave again. The very idea of leaving Blaine behind when he was hurt and in pain and needed help was enough to leave Kurt's heart aching. He held the vampire as close as he dared as he and Finn ushered the man upstairs. The walk was surprisingly easy, Blaine needing them more for balance than anything else, and Finn seemed to have snapped out of it enough to truly help.

Though it made his cheeks flush bright red, Kurt fished Blaine's key from his pocket and opened the door for them so that they could get the vampire over to the couch. He still looked paler than usual and woozy to boot. "You should take more," he whispered softly. "You need it. I can tell." And he would have been lying if he said that he didn't, that he wasn't desperate for any touch he could get, any closeness, anything that might keep him there for a few moments more.

Finn had never seen Kurt look at anyone the way he did Blaine. He almost felt as if he were intruding on a very intimate moment. And it still stunned him to think he himself had mindlessly taken a knife to his arm in order to feed a vampire. However, the act had done little to sate his own need. He wanted Damien, and he ached to feel his cool mouth on his throat again. What jolted Finn from his stupor was Blaine's sudden outburst...

"No, Kurt!" Blaine exclaimed with what little energy he could muster. "I already killed someone last night, and I'm not going to do the same thing to you..."

Silence hung heavy in the air. Finn blinked, and then, brotherly concern taking over, he moved protectively toward Kurt. "Wait, you killed somebody?" he whispered, wondering if Damien's warning about keeping Blaine and Kurt apart had more to do with his stepbrother's safety than jealousy.

Absolutely stunned by the confession, Kurt could do little more than stare. "You... couldn't have," he finally answered, the words weak and stupid but the only ones he could find when the ability to speak at all finally returned. He found himself still kneeling in front of the vampire, his eyes searching Blaine's face when the door opened.

"Hey, I-" Damien cut himself off at the sight of the two mortals in the room. "Didn't know you were expecting company." He felt a rush of annoyance at Kurt's presence and an even more annoying flash of guilt at Finn's. Having him hanging around, hot piece of ass or not, was the last thing that he needed. "I need to talk to Blaine."

There was no doubt that the words were a dismissal, and Kurt felt his heart sink. He didn't want to leave Blaine, wanted to understand what in the world the man could be talking about. It didn't make sense. Blaine couldn't kill someone. Though he knew that he should probably take the hint and get moving, Kurt couldn't help reaching for Blaine's hand again. "I... I just want to be sure you're alright..."

Blaine _almost _squeezed Kurt's hand in return. He had missed the mortal with a palpable longing ache. And it took every ounce of his self control not to draw Kurt into his arms, because he wanted nothing more than to embrace him and to never let him go. But the vampire feared harming Kurt far too much, and he abruptly wrenched himself free of his warm, comforting grasp. "I'll be fine," he murmured, unable to bring himself to catch Kurt's gaze. "Damien will look after me. You'd better go."

Finn, who had been openly staring at Damien all this time, could not help but notice the sting of Blaine's words. If Blaine really was dangerous, then Kurt would be better off without him. "You're welcome," he tossed at the vampire. "You know, for saving your life?" Finn tugged on his stepbrother's arm. "Come on, Kurt. Let's go home." It took a monumental effort to walk by Damien without acknowledging him. But the jock could somehow sense Damien willing him not to.

The door closed behind them with a resounding click, and Kurt felt his legs threaten to give way beneath him. Losing Blaine once had been painful. Leaving him behind yet again was awful. He was hurt, confused - because he couldn't have killed anyone. "He wouldn't... wouldn't do that," Kurt mumbled to himself, finding it difficult to shake off the shock of the evening. For once it was Finn leading him along toward home, and Kurt was grateful. He could barely remember to walk, let alone pay attention to where they were going. Seeing Blaine and going through whatever had happened in the alley were draining away the grace that Kurt had managed to scrape together to handle the situation. Kurt reached out for Finn's sleeve, insisting, "He wouldn't," almost desperately.

In order to distract himself from the magnetic pull of Damien's influence, Finn focused solely on his distressed stepbrother. "It's okay, Kurt," he replied comfortingly. "I believe you. If you say he didn't do it, then he didn't do it." He sighed heavily, feeling the weight of the evening's events settling in. His arm throbbed, and his head felt as if it was filled with cotton. Not only that, but his shoes seemed to have turned into lead weights. "Look, I dunno what's wrong with me," Finn confessed guiltily. "I ran out of the house the minute you turned your back... and I don't know why. No, that's not true... I do know. I wanted to find..." He almost said Damien's name, only to choke on his words. "...that vampire again."

Kurt nodded, Finn's acceptance of his protests apparently having mollified him at least momentarily. "I know. He did something... used glamour. It's not your fault." Swallowing, Kurt looked at his stepbrother uncertainly. "Did you see... what happened? With the... the drainers?" He was starting to wonder if he'd had some sort of hysterical episode. Maybe it hadn't really happened at all. Certainly it didn't make any sense to think he could physically move either of the pair, and certainly not without touching them. /It's crazy, isn't it?/

Finn refused to believe it was just a vampire spell that had taken hold of his senses. There was more between him and Damien than that. He was sure of it. But he kept his thoughts to himself. Kurt knew way more about vampires and their ways than he did. That troubled him, because it only added to the innumerable things Finn Hudson couldn't wrap his mind around. "No," he finally answered. "I... kinda spaced out. Did we scare them off? Must have, right?" He paused, his brow furrowing. "But... why were they taking vampire blood. I don't get it."

/It didn't happen. It couldn't have happened./ Satisfied that at least part of the bizarre night was nothing more than fancy on his part, Kurt took a deep breath. "It's... some people take it like a drug," he explained gently. It was surprising sometimes just how innocent Finn could really be. Though the vampire underworld was something he'd only dipped his toes into, Kurt had been enthralled by the idea from the moment they came out of the metaphoric closet. He and Mercedes had spent more than a few nights exchanging gossip and reading up, which had resulted in a pretty clear picture of the culture growing up around the world's newest members. "They say it makes you feel elated, high I guess." Since Finn definitely didn't need another reason to go after the vampire that had attacked him, Kurt cut himself off. Finn didn't need to know what he and Blaine had done together, not more than he did already.

"Oh." Finn would have never have guessed. But it did explain why Puck had been so interested in hearing the details of his and Kurt's encounters with vampires. Having gorged himself on horror movies his whole life, Finn had always associated the act of drinking vampire blood with being turned into an honest-to-goodness member of the undead. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it might be like to taste a vampire that way. But he suddenly found himself more than a little intrigued. /Would Damien let me...?/ Finn shook his head. Now was definitely not the time to be thinking about things like that. "I guess I really don't know much about vampires," he admitted with a guilty shrug. "What're we gonna do if Mom and Burt are home? They're gonna kill both of us."

"For going to Breadstix?" Kurt answered, trying to sound more flippant than he felt. He gently eased the coat away from Finn's arm, wincing at the realization that it was destined for the trash. "I can patch this up well enough for it to heal if you keep it covered so they don't see it until we're upstairs. I don't think... they don't really need to know about this, do they?" They'd both been stupid in different ways, and Kurt wasn't anxious to get another lecture about how evil vampires were when he was hurting so badly. He wasn't sure his heart could take it. "They can't expect us to stay locked in the house all the time. As far as they know, it was a purely social outing because I burned dinner." And it would be burned by now from warming in the oven for too long, so that was a start.

Leave it to Kurt to think of a brilliant excuse. "Okay, yeah, bro... that'll work," Finn enthused, grateful that his stepbrother had more smarts than he did. "Erm..." He paused again, uncertain and still feeling guilty over his actions. "I'm sorry for being a jerk. You know, about you and Blaine." Finn's gaze shied toward Kurt's, his crooked smile bordering on bashful. "Vampire or not, I guess I didn't really get how much he meant to you till tonight." Indeed, he had never seen Kurt look at any one the way he did Blaine. And, again, it puzzled Finn over why Damien was so dead set against the two of them being together. It sparked another pang of jealousy deep within him, which was becoming more and more frequent.

Kurt swallowed hard, tears shining in his eyes as he looked away. "It's alright. I understand. It... I know it doesn't make any sense, feeling this much for him. I... I can't... I can't explain it." Kurt wrapped his arms around himself and breathed a sigh of relief when the house was in sight again. "I know it makes me seem a little crazy. Or desperate. Both. It's not that, though, it's just... us. Something about it... we..." Kurt shook himself and squared his shoulders, wishing he could just forget it all. "It doesn't matter."

"Wait a minute. It's important to you, so... yes, it damn well does matter." Finn had never been more certain of anything. He reached out and squeezed Kurt's shoulder, taking care not to use his cut arm. "You're not the one running off into the night acting crazy and desperate. That's me." Unable to even begin to explain the frantic need he felt to be with Damien, Finn knew it was nothing compared to what Kurt and Blaine shared. /So, what is it? Lust?/ Distracting himself with a quick glance at the driveway, he was relieved to see that he and Kurt had beaten their parents home. They still had time to do something about his wound without anyone else finding out.

Kurt hesitated for only a moment before impulsively wrapping Finn in a gentle hug, mindful of his hurt arm. "Thank you. Now," he added, taking a deep breath and nodding toward the house, "let's get you fixed up." Once they were in the bathroom under between lighting, Kurt found the wound even more revolting. It was a clean cut, though, straight and sure. "It should heal nicely, but you'll have to wear long sleeves." Again the desire to point out that Finn shouldn't have done it in the first place surfaced, but he pushed that back. Gently Kurt cleaned the skin and used butterfly bandages to make sure the edges healed together to minimize scarring. When that was taken care of, he wrapped gauze over Finn's forearm. "That way you won't knock it against something and start the bleeding again. You've lost more than enough blood already."

"Yeah," Finn agreed quietly. Away from Damien's influence, he still longed to be with the vampire... but his head was a little clearer. "I'm gettin' kinda scared, to tell the truth. Man, Kurt... what the hell am I doing?" He shook his head, glancing down at his stepbrother's expert dressing of his wound. "One minute I'm fine, then next... I feel like I'm going to die if I don't give up my blood." Unsure whether Kurt could truly understand what he was going through, Finn was still lost on exactly what being glamored actually meant. "You know, you're awesome at this," he proclaimed, holding up his arm. "Seriously, dude. You could be a nurse or something."

Kurt smiled at the complement but then gave a slight shake of his head. "I don't know about that. Scrubs aren't flattering on anyone, and I'm not sure I'd take very good care of someone I didn't care about already." Nursing his father had been easy because he wanted the man to be safe and healthy. Nursing Finn was easy for the same reasons. Whatever awkwardness there was in the past between them, Kurt loved Finn as part of his family. His tone sobered slightly as he met Finn's gaze again. "You should talk to your mother. Be honest with her. They're worried about you too, and maybe she won't understand quite the same way I do, but she might be able to help." If Carol would just tell Finn what had happened with his father, maybe he'd understand why he was predisposed to falling prey to the vampire who'd been using him, and maybe it would help him to control the need. "I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Nothing's gonna happen to me, bro," Finn replied, genuinely touched by Kurt's concern. "Whatever this is, I think it's just got to get out of my system." He appreciated his stepbrother's notion of talking with his mother. But when Finn himself had no idea what was going on, let alone how he was truly feeling, then that was out of the question. "I'm kind of... okay... during the day," he offered, sounding a little unsure. "It's when it starts getting late that I go... well, crazy." Finn shrugged, then glanced sheepishly at Kurt. "Do you think we could... I don't know... maybe make a deal? You bunk up with me to keep an eye on me till I'm better?"

"I think I'd like that, actually." While he didn't want to spend the rest of his life being Finn's keeper, Kurt knew he'd get no rest at all if he couldn't be sure his stepbrother was safe. Besides that was the fact that he didn't like the thought of being alone. He didn't entirely trust himself either. If he was by himself at night, he might lose his own sense of what was right, might sneak away to try and explain to Blaine why he'd left, to beg forgiveness and try to find a way to fix things. /Not unless I can convince dad that Blaine isn't like the others./ And with Blaine doubting himself, Kurt didn't know that it would ever happen. He let the hope die away and swallowed hard. "Maybe you can keep an eye on me too."

Finn grinned lopsidedly, and clapped a hand on Kurt's shoulder. "Then, it's a deal," he agreed, glad that he and his stepbrother were on solid ground again. "I know Mom and Burt'll probably wonder what the hell we're up to. But we're looking out for each other like bros. I mean, they can't have a problem with that... right?" Suddenly his stomach growled, and Finn realized that his earlier escape meant that both he and Kurt had missed dinner. His most recent loss of blood had left the jock completely famished. "Any chance we can throw something together before the parental units return?" he asked sheepishly.

Kurt rolled his eyes but agreed just the same and led the way downstairs. "Maybe the pasta isn't entirely ruined." He'd put it in dishes warming in the oven, and when he pulled it out, the noodles were dry but otherwise unscathed. "Edible. Not wonderful, but edible." Kurt refreshed both portions with a little bit of sauce from the fridge and then set them down on the table. His stomach rebelled at the idea of food, but Kurt forced himself to eat. After the exchange with Finn, he felt a bit more like himself, and he refused to become a cliche, wasting away and pining. "I think they'll understand - dad and Carol? I think they'll understand, us staying together for awhile."

Finn wolfed down his food, feeling more and more normal with every bite. It was strange, but he didn't quite feel the enormous draw toward Damien. Of course it was still there, only not as strong. Finn felt unsure whether it qualified as a good thing or not. Shaking his head as if to clear it, the jock swallowed down another mouthful of food. "I think you're right," he agreed, downing his soda. "They both know we've been through a lot, and we're just hanging out so... yeah, I don't think it'll be a problem." Finishing up, he wiped his mouth and grinned at Kurt. "You'd make one one awesome chef if Broadway didn't work out," he complimented, pushing himself up from the table. Unfortunately the action was a little too swift, and Finn teetered precariously on his feet. "Whoa-head rush."

Kurt reached for Finn's arm and steadied him, keeping hold of the limb as they made for the stairs. "I don't think falling down the stairs would put you in better shape." As it was, he was glad they'd gotten some food into his stepbrother. With the loss of blood, he probably would have been in even rougher shape otherwise. "I think it's the perfect night for an early bedtime." Kurt ushered Finn into the bedroom to get himself ready before disappearing briefly into his own to change, wash his face, and grab his laptop.

Silly as he felt, Kurt couldn't help the impulse that had been itching at him all day. He determined that Finn was still in the bathroom getting ready for bed and sat down cross-legged on the air mattress before firing up YouTube. It took only seconds before he found what he was looking for and hastily plugged in some headphones.

Shaking his head as if to clear it, Finn finished up and emerged wearing only a pair of pajama bottoms. He started to call Kurt's name, only to find the other teenager wearing headphones and engrossed in watching something on his laptop. /Blaine./ Finn recognized him almost at once. Then, something... strange happened as Blaine's features filled the screen. His heart lurched, pumping hot blood through his veins. He felt an irrational surge of lust. It was so powerful that Finn was leaning in closer to take in the view, unaware that his bare chest was brushing Kurt's back.

The sudden warmth against his back made Kurt jump. "FINN!" he hissed, jerking the buds from his ears and slamming the laptop shut. His cheeks were blazing, and he felt stupid both for being so surprised and for what he'd been caught doing. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Kurt swallowed hard and looked back over his shoulder to see Finn all but leering at the laptop. "What?" he demanded, tone suddenly guarded and uncertain.

Kurt's voice broke through his stupor, and Finn almost reeled back in surprise. "N-nothing," he stammered, his whole body warming. "Chill, dude. Seriously, I was just seeing what you were watching." If only it were that simple. He realized with a shock that he had been openly lusting at the image of Blaine on Kurt's laptop. Finn tried to brush the incident off, but there was no denying the fact that he'd felt an intense draw toward the vampire. This confused the already flustered jock no end. But the last thing he wanted was for his stepbrother to know. "So, erm... Blaine used to sing like us?" he asked, hoping to change the subject.

That seemed to relax Kurt somewhat, and he smiled softly. "Yes. He was in glee club at school." Kurt opened the lid of the laptop with extra care as if to apologize for the abrupt closure a few moments before and pulled the buds out of the hookup so that the speakers took over. He hit the space bar and the music began to play softly, a harmonic ballad that was a perfect blend of the all-male vocals with Blaine front and center. "It would have been so much easier if I'd met him then... just a year ago... Then he just would have been..." Kurt shrugged. He just would have been Blaine, and there would have been nothing that could have kept them apart.

Finn pursed his lips, finding his gaze inexorably drawn toward Blaine once again. His pulse quickened, and he felt the same rush of desire he felt for Damien suddenly fixating on someone else. It made absolutely no sense to Finn, but nothing about this week could be classified under the heading of logic. Another shake of his head only served to make the jock dizzy, so he opted for diving into his bed and trying to ignore Blaine's mesmerizing eyes peering out at him from the laptop. "Hey, it's better you met at all... right?" he offered, hoping that would be enough to make his stepbrother feel better. "Maybe... maybe I could talk to Burt... you know, about you and Blaine?" Finn surprised himself. Without Damien's voice in his head telling him to keep the two apart, he seemed to be thinking a little more clearly. Although a part of him wondered if he was doing it for Kurt or himself.

"I don't think it would make a difference," Kurt ventured, biting his lip, "but... but if you really don't mind..." He knew it wouldn't matter. His father and Carol had perfectly valid reasons for what they believed. He understood them. Unfortunately understanding didn't make it any easier to be apart from the man he loved when he knew Blaine wasn't a danger to anyone. "Thank you, Finn." Closing the laptop again, Kurt forced himself to lay down on the bed with a sigh. "I appreciate that you're willing to do it whether it changes his mind or not." It was strange, but Kurt realized that all the bizarre things they were going through were serving ultimately to make the two of them closer and more like brothers than ever before.

"You don't have to thank me, bro," Finn replied, suppressing a pang of guilt. "I... I shouldn't've been so against you and Blaine in the first place. You know what you want, you've got a good head on your shoulders... It was wrong not to trust you." Again, he could not fathom why it was such a huge deal to Damien for Blaine and Kurt not to be together. Only the jealousy Finn had felt before did not seem quite as strong. Now he was confused over his sudden, intense attraction to Blaine... which absolutely, positively was the most wrong thing ever. "Erm, Kurt... are you sure Blaine's gonna be okay? He looked pretty messed up after all that."

Kurt swallowed hard at the thought of Blaine after the attack, how broken and pained he had looked. He found himself wanting to throw the covers off and run through the night until he was by the vampire's side again. "Damien was with him," Kurt offered, the words soft and not particularly enthusiastic. Silence fell for a few moments more before he added, "I don't trust him. Damien. I know he's... he's Blaine's family, his sire, and it's my fault that things are the way they are, but... I... I just wish I was there." Kurt buried his face in his pillow for a moment to breathe and stifle the tears that were threatening to fall. Finally he turned his head and asked, "Am I doing the right thing? I... don't want dad to stop trusting me, I don't want to hurt him, but this is... I don't know if I can do this."

"Hey, no you can do anything," Finn replied, shifting over to offer his stepbrother what little support he had to give. "You're Kurt Hummel, remember?" He gave Kurt's shoulder a friendly nudge, hoping he could lift the other teenager's mood again. It was partly his fault that Kurt was suffering in the first place. If Damien hadn't insisted on driving a wedge between the two, then maybe things would have been better. Finn already felt guilt, and seeing how being torn apart from Blaine was hurting his stepbrother only made things worse. Although Damien's glamour, spell... whatever it was... had lessened, Finn still couldn't divulge the truth. Kurt would hate him for the rest of his life if he knew what had really happened. "Look, I don't know if it'll do any good. But I'll try and talk to your dad tomorrow." Finn flashed a hopeful grin. "The worst he can do is say 'no,' right?"

"Right," Kurt agreed with a hint of a smile. He knew that Finn's words would make no difference to his father - might actually have the opposite effect - but the sentiment was sweet all the same. He forced himself to lie back down on the air mattress. It was strategically positioned so that Finn would more or less have to step on it to get out of his bed, effectively blocking him from any late night excursions while Kurt slept unless he wanted to brave crawling over the chest at the foot of his bed. Laden as it was with books, paper, and miscellaneous goods, the odds of managing the task without waking his stepbrother were slim to none. "Get some sleep. We still have class in the morning. At least it's Friday," Kurt observed. It was meant to sound cheerful but fell utterly flat. The weekend would be a long string of hours that Kurt would need to fill with something to keep both his mind and Finn's off of what they were missing.

The events of the day had left Finn completely drained, and it didn't take much effort on his part to fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. For the first time in what seemed like ages he didn't dream about Damien. Instead, his slumber was filled with confusing images. He found himself wandering through the night, the streets filled with fog. Searching around, he only became more and more lost and frantic... until he discovered a figure lying on the ground... bound with silver. "Blaine?" Finn dropped to his knees, glancing down to see his wrist streaming with blood. The urge to feed the vampire overcame him, and he was offering himself to Blaine without a second thought.

"Blaine..." he moaned in his sleep, writhing beneath the covers.

Kurt was jarred from a light, uneasy sleep by the sound of Finn's voice. As the murmuring whisper sounded again, he felt his breath catch. Finn was moaning Blaine's name. Actually moaning. Irrational jealousy boiled up inside of Kurt at the thought. It was bad enough that Finn had gotten close to Blaine, had gotten to touch him when Kurt had been turned away. He bit his lip to try and stifle the urge to reached up and shake Finn awake. He needed the rest, and he couldn't control his dreams, Kurt reminded himself sternly. It did nothing to ease the tension twisting inside him. Because it didn't just bother him that Finn was dreaming about the man he was in love with. It bothered him that Blaine could have anyone he wanted. He could be sharing his bed with someone new already, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

The dream went on and on, and Finn was utterly oblivious to the effect his soft moaning of Blaine's name was having on his stepbrother. If he had been coherent enough to realize what was going on, then Finn would have been totally embarrassed and completely appalled. But, as it was, his dreaming mind melted in the ecstasy of being fed upon by Blaine. The vampire had released his wrist, only to lunge forward, pin him to the ground, and sink his fangs into his throat. Finn could feel the hot blood rushing from his body and filling Blaine's mouth. Finn writhed in his bed, a fine sheen of sweat breaking out all over his body as he fisted the sheets. With a sharp gasp, Finn woke... and he blinked in the darkness of the room in confusion. "What the hell-?" he panted out, holding his head in his hands.

"You were dreaming about Blaine," Kurt answered stiffly. He knew he couldn't hold it against Finn. After everything he'd been through the past few days, it was a minor miracle that he was even half sane anymore. /It's a miracle that either of us are sane./ The thought made Kurt swallow hard. He didn't want to end up crying again, but he was on the edge of it. More quietly, his voice ragged despite his best attempts to keep hold of himself, Kurt managed, "Don't tell me about it. I'm sorry, but... don't."

Finn didn't know how to react. He'd never felt more mixed up in all his life. Scared, confused, flustered, and excited, his emotions had been swept up into a whirlpool that threatened to drown him. How could he even begin to explain himself to Kurt when he didn't understand any of it himself? Of course, Kurt didn't want to hear about his dream... But Finn agnozined over having it in the first place. "Kurt, man... I'm sorry, really... really sorry," he stammered out, still breathless. "Listen, I don't know what's wrong with me. The last thing I wanna do is hurt you... or dream about Blaine." Finn shook his head. "I think I've lost my mind."

Kurt shook his head, feeling the cracks that were forming in the cool facade he wore widening. He had kept himself together for everyone, held everything back, hadn't broken down at all. Part of Kurt was proud of the effort and how successful he'd been, but another part was screaming at him that he couldn't keep that up forever. Inside the effort made him thrum with pain trapped just beneath the surface. "It's not you," he managed in a harsh whisper, the sound ending in a broken sound very close to a sob. "I just... hearing you... I just... all I could think about was him... finding someone... someone else..." The tears were flowing before Kurt could even try to hold them back, and he buried his face in the pillow in an unsuccessful attempt to shield Finn from what he felt was an unforgivable lapse. /You're supposed to be the one helping him./

/Shit./ Finn felt even worse than before. Seeing Kurt in this state was something he couldn't handle, especially because his stepbrother's pain was partly his fault. "Why... Kurt, why would he do that?" he faltered, shifting out of bed and awkwardly resting his hand on Kurt's back. "I saw the way he looks at you, and the way you look at him. It's... I've never seen two people so in love. He wouldn't look for anybody else. I know he wouldn't." Now Finn wasn't sure if that was good or bad considering his own tormented and confused feelings. But he couldn't allow Kurt to go on doubting himself or the love he had for Blaine. "You and he'll work this out somehow, bro. So, c'mon, stop worrying." He sighed, tugging the countertenor closer. "Not a lot of good to anyone right now, but I promise I'm gonna help. I really will."

Kurt let Finn's gentle pulling draw him in, and before he knew it, he was sobbing into Finn's shirt and shaking his head. "He won't listen. Dad won't... he... they just want to keep us safe and... but..." He found himself on the verge of telling Finn precisely why Burt and Carol were so insistent on keeping them away from vampires and then thought again. Even upset he couldn't bring himself to hurt Finn that way. Instead he drew back and took a few deep breaths to try and get hold of himself. "I should want Blaine to find someone he can really be with. I should. It isn't fair of me to want him to be alone."

"What you need to do is talk to Blaine," Finn decided, running his hands in comforting circle motions on Kurt's back. "Maybe... maybe we can find a way for you to see him. I mean, if you're sure Burt won't listen. Then, he and Mom don't have to know where you are... right?" He hated suggesting Kurt lie to their parents, but his stepbrother needed this more than anything else. Kurt wouldn't be able to function at all if he didn't find a way to make things work with Blaine. "We can just say we've got late practice... or something."

The idea woke a faint trill of hope inside of Kurt. He felt awful for even thinking of lying to his father all over again, but what else could he do? And surely Blaine had just sent him away tonight because he was upset about what Kurt had said about them not seeing each other anymore. If he could make that right... He looked to Finn finally and nodded. "I... do you think... would you cover for me tomorrow? Just for a couple of hours... I'll talk to Mercedes tomorrow if you're okay with it." She would understand, would help them weave the story. Of everyone, she'd been the most quietly supportive. She knew Kurt well enough to see that whatever he was feeling, it wasn't just a passing fancy.

"It's cool," Finn readily agreed. He didn't want to make a habit out of lying to his mom and Burt, but Kurt needed this whether everything worked out or not. For his stepbrother's sake, Finn hoped he and Blaine could find some common ground. "Now, c'mon... You know I can't stand to see you cry. I know I haven't done a great job looking after you lately. But I'm gonna do better, I promise." He managed a crooked, half-smile. "And you have my permission to punch me the next I dream about Blaine." Finn shrugged, adding, "Still dunno where I stand with the whole liking dudes too thing. But I do not want to get on your bad side."

Kurt couldn't help but laugh at the idea of him actually slugging Finn. "That is probably in your best interest," he agreed, feeling better than he had in days. The possibility of righting things with Blaine was enough to take the sting out of everything else. "And you don't have to take care of me. You keep forgetting that I'm older than you are. Not by much, but... still, your freakish, Frankenstein-like height does not make you the older sibling." Kurt smiled up at the other boy to show that the words were teasing. "Given how much of a mess we both are, we may just have to keep looking after each other for awhile."

"Sounds like a plan," Finn agreed, restraining himself from mussing Kurt's hair lest he draw back a nub. "How about we both try and catch s'more z's?" Although he wasn't in a hurry to revisit his confusing dream involving Blaine, the jock was still dead tired, and he and his stepbrother had several hours left until they needed to be up for school. He tumbled back into bed, pulling the sheet up to his chest as his head sank back into the pillow. "We'll get everything settled tomorrow." /One way or another./ Finn didn't want to give Kurt false hope, but he also didn't to see the other teen hurting over Blaine. Whatever happened, he wasn't going to let Damien use him to keep the pair apart. Even if it meant incurring a vampire's wrath.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 19**

**Author's Notes:** In which Damien takes care of his childe. In smutty ways. Naturally.

Blaine finally glanced up in time to watch the mortals depart. Pangs of guilt rammed into him. He hadn't meant to cause Kurt any pain. But he didn't trust himself, not after what had happened to Jeremiah.

"What the hell happened?" Damien shut the door and locked it behind the mortals before he crossed over to Blaine. Finn had played it cool, but the last thing he wanted was either of the men interrupting again. Closer up, the bands of reddened flesh still marring Blaine's skin gave Damien all the information he needed. "Drainers. Shit... I shouldn't've left." He reached out and pulled his childe in close. "I'm sorry." That Kurt and Finn had found Blaine and saved him instead was a painful blow. "I should have been with you."

"It's not your fault," Blaine protested weakly. "It's mine." He slumped back against the cushions of the sofa, his body aching from the silver and longing for Kurt. Seeing him again had only made a terrible situation that much worse. "I should have stayed here-not gone out. But I was going stir crazy, and... I just wasn't thinking." If he'd had his wits about him, then Blaine might have sussed out the obvious trap the Drainers had led him into it. As it was, taking his blood had been like stealing candy from a baby. "There was a girl, she said she needed help..." He shook his head, feeling foolish. "...I really should have known better."

"Always have been too nice for your own good," Damien answered with a sigh as he kissed Blaine's curls and gently ran his fingers over the other vampire's arm. Though he knew it was giving up something that drove an obvious wedge between his childe and Kurt, Damien could never stand to see Blaine suffer for long. "It wasn't you. At the station... they already have another suspect. The crazy vampire who showed up at the bar all bloody the other night. He's the one who did it." Drawing back, Damian tilted his head to the side. "Take some blood. You'll still need time to heal, but that's not going to happen until you're fed - and right now I don't think wandering the streets is a good idea."

"It wasn't me?" Stunned, Blaine blinked at Damien in disbelief. He wasn't entirely sure if his sire was telling him the truth or not. But the sincerity in Damien's eyes spoke volumes, and Blaine visibly relaxed. "I was so sure... I'd killed him." Jeremiah. He hadn't deserved any of this. Although their brief night together had been fueled by desire, the mortal had been kind and gentle, offering him comfort when he'd felt at his absolute lowest. Starving, Blaine's hunger took hold and he simply could not ignore Damien's tempting offer. "Thank you... thank you, Damien," he whispered, leaning forward and brushing his lips against that lovely throat. His fangs were sinking into cool, soft flesh, and Blaine groaned as rich, dark blood filled his mouth.

Though it had grown more and more rare, Damien longed for the few moments that they shared like this, moments where they were intimate whether that intimacy included sex or not. He held the other vampire close and wished that he could convince Blaine that the didn't need anyone else. Mike was family, but the mortals that came and went... they were pointless. They only needed each other. Not knowing the words, never able to find them, Damien settled on threading one hand into his childe's hair while the other rubbed mindless patterns over Blaine's back. If he didn't feel half sure of rejection, Damien might have taken the contact a step further, but after Jeremiah and then seeing Kurt again, he doubted that Blaine would be receptive.

Damien's comforting touch, coupled with the delicious taste of his blood, sparked a sense of raw desire in Blaine. It hit him like a ton of bricks, leaving him alternately reeling and longing for more. He shifted against his sire, one hand roaming up the other vampire's body until it disappeared up into his hair. His fingers carded gently, tugging-even though there was no need-Damien's head for even more access to his neck. Ambrosia poured over his lips, filling him with a fire that was totally at odds with mortal blood. Kurt's was the most delicious he had ever tasted, but feeding from his sire had a potent effect on Blaine. He began to writhe as passion fueled his actions, and an unmistakable groan of lust escaped his throat.

Damien's eyes fell closed, relieved as he realized that he didn't have to hold back for once. Just being around Blaine made him almost crazy sometimes as he tried to keep himself from touching his childe or kissing him. "Be mine tonight," he pleaded in a throaty whisper. "Let me make you feel better." Damien knew he could drive Kurt from Blaine's mind - maybe not forever, but for the night, he could be his childe's world. "Just tonight, Blaine. You need it." They both did. After hearing that moan, Damien thought he might lose his mind if he didn't get to do some of the things running through his mind.

Too far-gone to refuse, Blaine groaned out his enthusiastic agreement. He continued to drink his sire's blood, gorging himself as the near-frantic desire possessed his senses. Finally, he withdrew, and gazing into Damien's eyes, brushed his red-ringed mouth against the other vampire's. Blaine kissed him as hungrily as he had fed, snaking his tongue between Damien's lips and plunging deep inside. In the next instant, he was pressing his weight down on Damien's and crushing him into the sofa.

Damien drank in the taste of the kiss, the sweet flavor of those full, soft lips. He was hard already as his hips pressed insistently up against the other man. It didn't matter in the slightest to Damien who did the taking and who was taken. He didn't care about anything but the chance to be with Blaine again. His fingers hooked in the loops of Blaine's jeans to close any remaining space between them. If either of them had needed to breathe, it would have been problem. Thankfully they were both long past that particular need. Damien knew from experience that when Blaine was so in the moment, he had to stay there too. There could be no sweet whispers or talk of anything more than what they were doing. /Better than nothing. Hell of a lot better than nothing./

Blaine had no idea what had suddenly possessed him. Maybe it was his brush with the Drainers, or the heartache of seeing Kurt again fueling his actions? Either way, he couldn't get enough of Damien or the eternal comfort his sire offered. The kisses were frantic and passionate, bordering on desperate. Blaine's hands fairly trembled as they coursed over Damien's body, his fingers tugging at the other vampire's clothes. When Damien's shirt fell open, Blaine groaned into his mouth. Not needing the inconvenience of oxygen meant that the kiss could go on forever without breaking contact. And, at that moment, Blaine preferred it that way. He writhed against Damien, the air around them highly charged as his arousal reached a fever pitch. 

Damien finally reversed their positions, shoving Blaine back onto the couch and all but tearing off the rest of his clothing. He showed no regard for the sanctity of the fabric, intent only on getting the man naked as quickly as possible. As the last impediments to molesting Blaine properly gave way, Damien grinned wickedly up at the other vampire. He held Blaine down with one hand flat on the man's chest and bent to lick a stripe along the man's hard cock. "Should I make you beg, or do you need it too much? Need it so bad you can't wait?"

Blaine all but whimpered, glancing down at Damien with dazed eyes. His sire always knew the right buttons to push, reducing him to a quivering bundle of need with only one swipe of his tongue. Blaine struggled to form words, finding himself drowning in the overwhelming desire which had suddenly gripped him. "Begging... begging's good," he managed to stammer out. He didn't want the encounter over in a flash. Instead, he yearned for the rest of the night to be filled with the comfort only Damien could offer him. "Please? Please, Damien?"

Damien's only answer was the darkening of his crystal blue eyes and a devilish smile. He grabbed Blaine's hands and hauled him up off the couch before lifting the other vampire into his arms. Despite his slight build, his supernatural strength made it easy to carry his lover into the bedroom. Blaine was his for the night. Damien intended to make use of every last moment. When day came, he would hold Blaine in his arms for the first time in a long while. With a growl, Damien threw Blaine back onto the bed and grabbed a discarded tie from the floor, quickly lashing Blaine's arms together above his head and then to the headboard. "You're mine. Tonight there's nothing else. Do you understand?"

Blaine's eyes were almost completely black with lust, and he eagerly nodded his assent. "Yes, yes... anything," he readily agreed. Although he could have easily broken his bonds, he had no desire to do anything except to submit to Damien's will. He was so hungry for more of his sire's attention, in fact, that Blaine strained his head forward in an attempt to brush his lips against Damien's tantalizing flesh. It was, however, useless from his current position, and he gave a token whine of frustration as his fangs appeared. Whatever had possessed him had eradicated everything else around him. His one thought-his one need-was for Damien and Damien alone. "Please, have me... use me... whatever you want, I'm yours tonight..."

Damien read the truth of the words in Blaine's dark gaze, and he smiled before pressing a decadent kiss to his childe's lips. "Good. You'll be rewarded for that... eventually." He sat up and looked down at the other vampire. He let himself enjoy the view of Blaine's pale, toned skin laid out before him for a moment before attacking the man to get the last of his clothes free. The mortal would never touch Blaine again, but he would. Damien dragged his nails down over Blaine's thighs. He kept his own clothes on. Though he longed to feel the press of skin against skin, he wanted the power for now. He wanted Blaine to be open and vulnerable before him. "It's been a long time since I heard you beg me to let you cum. Missed it, baby. You're so beautiful when you're like this... hard and aching and not able to do a damn thing about it."

Blaine shivered, nodding as he wet his quivering bottom lip with his tongue. Whatever force had possessed him totally, blinding him to everything else except his sire. He gazed up at Damien in anticipation, already close to pleading with the other vampire to touch him. "I've missed it, too," he confessed, his throat clotted with lust. "The way you kiss me, touch me, bite me... make me scream for more..." Without a second thought, Blaine spread his legs wantonly and groaned as his arousal-surging with Finn's borrowed blood-ached for attention. "Is this how you want me?" he asked, not a trace of shame showing as he writhed before Damien.

It was how he always wanted Blaine. The need rolling off the other vampire was intoxicating. Damien couldn't help but stroke himself as he looked down at the other man. "Yes. Yes, it is." He moved in closer and leaned down, almost bringing his lips to Blaine's cock only to draw back at the last moment and look up at his lover through slitted eyes. "Not yet. I don't think I've got you wanting it nearly badly enough." The vampire instead straddled Blaine's stomach, keeping his ass away from the tempting cock so close. A new thought struck him, and Damien inched up and unfastened his jeans. His cock sprang free, and he let the head rest just out of reach of Blaine's lips. "Do you want to suck me, baby?"

"Yes, oh god... yes, please?" Blaine's gaze radiated the raw lust that has taken hold of his senses. He strained in a desperate attempt to reach Damien's offering, and flicking out his eager tongue, managed to catch the flaring tip of his sire's masterful cock. Groaning at the taste of him, Blaine found that he simply could not get enough and craved more. "Please let me, Damien?" he begged after another ravenous swipe of his tongue. "You want me to-I know you do. Let me make you feel good. Please?" Blaine honestly thought he would go completely out of his mind if Damien didn't relent and give him what he wanted.

The words were true. So true. Damien wanted nothing more than to feel Blaine's lips on him, to feel even more of that beautiful tongue on his flesh. "Well, since you asked so nicely..." Damien pressed himself forward, his cock sliding into the other man's mouth. As always, it was bliss, but Damien kept himself in check. He refrained from ramming himself home and taking everything he wanted at once. He wasn't going to let it be over too soon. Blaine was giving him free reign, and he intended to use every last bit of it. The night was theirs, and they'd spend the day tangled together again. He needed it to last.

Blaine eagerly devoured Damien's offering, his groans of pleasure muffled around his sire's thick girth. It was as if he couldn't get enough of the other vampire, which made little sense to Blaine. Especially owing to the fact that he was still and always would be deeply in love with Kurt. Logic and reason had flown out of the window, leaving Blaine with a deep, insatiable longing for his sire. He sealed his glistening lips around the base of that masterful cock, breathing in the scent of Damien's body for a long moment... before bobbing his head back and forth, feverishly gulping down every inch.

Damien didn't know what had gotten into his childe. It wasn't like him, really. He was passionate, certainly enjoyed giving as well as receiving, but he wasn't one to give affection easily. Blaine was oddly reserved in that way for a vampire. He was warm and loving, and yet somehow he held himself in check. /Mike too,/ Damien thought with a faint hint of a smile. He supposed in that sense he'd claimed children that were very much the way he'd always been, boys that had looked as lost as he'd always felt. Now they all had each other, whatever else happened. Carefully Damien pulled himself out to see his cock shining with Blaine's saliva and the beautiful vampire's lips bruised and swollen with the effort. "Is this all you want, or do you need something else?"

Blaine whimpered at the loss of Damien's arousal filling his throat. It took every ounce of his willpower not to break his restraints, grab those slender hips, and shove that delicious length back inside of his mouth. He gazed up at his sire, more than willing to beg for more. "You know what I need," he growled, straining and tensing against his bonds. "I want you to fuck me. Fuck me so hard I can't think of anything except you and your cock. Please, Damien? Please fuck me... please? Let me make you feel good... please?" Already he was throwing his legs open, arching his pelvis upward, and offering his eager ass to the other vampire. If Damien didn't relent, then Blaine was certain he would go out of his mind with desire.

It was more than Damien had dared to hope for. He reached up and jerked the tie to free Blaine's hands. He needed to feel them roaming over his skin, to feel the want in addition to seeing it written in those darkened hazel eyes. "You're fucking beautiful like this," he purred, "when you're so _mine_." In seconds Damien had his fingers coated with lube from the nightstand and was teasing Blaine's entrance, swirling and teasing. "I'm gonna give you everything you want because it's what I want to. I want to bury myself inside you and make you scream so loud the neighbors call and complain. I want them to know just how gorgeous that voice of yours is."

Blaine's fingers were coursing over Damien's skin the instant his hands were freed. It was almost as if he had never touched the other vampire before, and he found himself exploring his sire's body restlessly. Hissing through his fangs, Blaine shivered and arched beneath Damien's questing touch. "Yes, oh god... yes..." he moaned, wriggling his hips in a vain effort to devour that wicked digit. His mind fogged over with lust, all Blaine could think of was surrendering himself completely to Damien. "More, please... keep doing that... need it, need _you_..." Babbling incoherently now, he literally felt Finn's borrowed blood boiling through his system, mingling with Damien's in a union of frantic desire.

Damien dipped a finger inside almost delicately, finally giving Blaine at least some relief. He watched his childe's eyes darken as the pupils dilated, blown wide with lust. It was beautiful. He hooked the fingers against Blaine's prostate. The smooth movement faltered a second later as it dawned on Damien what had happened. Somewhere Blaine had gotten some blood, and he'd been pushing Kurt away, the boy's body untouched. But there had been the scent of blood in the air. Finn's blood. Damien felt his heart constrict at the sudden realization that his childe was riding on something Finn had felt, not on his own desire. /Should have known,/ he thought only to push the revelation away. He had Blaine. For at least the night, Blaine was his, and that was all. "Do you want more?"

Blaine nearly lost his mind. The pleasure was so intense, and his need for Damien so ravenous, that he thought he would absolutely unravel at the seams. "Yes, yes... please?" he gasped, fairly clawing at his sire. Blaine raised his hips, then slammed them down again as his pelvis churned. He savored the other vampire's touch, which promised even more ecstasy as it brushed that special place deep inside of him. His eyes were black clouds of lust, pleading with Damien to take him, to use him in anyway his unbeating heart desired. In an act of near-desperation, Blaine reached between Damien's legs and caressed his long, thick arousal. "Want you to fuck me," he rasped out. "Please, Damien? Please fuck me?"

"Shhh... would never say no to that, beautiful," Damien whispered as he withdrew his fingers and sank down until he held himself suspended over Blaine. His childe's eyes were desperate with lust borrowed from someone else. Though it hurt to know that when the next evening came, Blaine would probably send him away again, Damien knew it meant all the more that he needed to enjoy the moment. Gently he kissed along Blaine's jaw while positioning himself. "Let me in." He pushed carefully not in spite of but because of Blaine's desperation. He didn't want it over too quickly for either of them.

Blaine was like a man possessed, and in many ways, he was exactly like. Finn's borrowed blood surged inside of him, and with it, the mortal's overwhelming desire for Damien. His hands clutched at the other vampire's back, while his aching body relaxed and eagerly accepted the large invader. As soon as Damien started to enter him, Blaine arched and tensed, whimpering uncontrollably for more. "Yes, yes... oh god, Damien..." he moaned, seeking out his sire's mouth. Blaine kissed him hungrily, drawing Damien's tongue into his mouth, and nursing as if it were an extension of that incredible cock filling him to bursting.

As always the feeling of sliding home inside of Blaine was like coming home. He'd often wondered if he would find someone he fit with and could truly love and walk with through the eternity that stretched out before him. Unfortunately when he did, the person he'd found didn't feel the same way. /Mine for now. For the night./ Maybe if Kurt didn't come back, if he really stayed away, things could be different between the two of them. Maybe Blaine would finally begin to need him the way he'd always needed his favorite childe. The idea brought a surge of hope, and Damien clung to it even if he suspected that it wouldn't last. He pressed hungry kisses to Blaine's lips and drank in the heat of the embrace as he finally began to thrust.

"Unngghhh... yes, oh god... yes," Blaine gasped, embracing Damien tightly. It had been exactly what he had been craving, and he welcomed his sire's invasion with complete abandon. He raked his nails down the length of Damien's spine, before filling his eager hands with that gorgeous, pumping ass. Tangling their tongues in a passionate kiss, Blaine arched his hips and shuddered violently as he met the other vampire's thrusting length. Damien filled him to bursting, his wonderfully long, thick arousal stretching and plundering Blaine to the point where he cried out joyously from the raw ecstasy wracking his body. And he could feel how much Damien relished claiming him by the tremors quaking through his frame, and Blaine thrilled at the knowledge that he was responsible for those sensations gripping his sire.

It was hard to hold back at all, not when Blaine was moaning like a whore and meeting every thrust with that same fire. "Already close, aren't you?" he murmured in a rough whisper against Blaine's ear. "I can feel the way you're moving... still remember every sound you make when you cum." It had been awhile, but time hadn't dulled a single memory. Damien still remembered the first time he had ever touched Blaine, the first time he saw up close just how beautiful those hazel eyes were. The connection was immediate then, and turning the young man only made it stronger.

Blaine no longer questioned the overwhelming lust that had taken hold of his senses. He was far too lost in the supreme ecstasy of being claimed by his sire again to remain bewildered over his own actions. "Unnhhh," he groaned, sinking his fingers into the firm, round globes of Damien's pumping ass. The other vampire plunged into him like fiend consumed with passion. "I haven't... haven't forgotten what you felt like... god, you're... so big... it's..." He gasped, tensing and shuddering as that masterful cock repeatedly struck that special place deep inside of him. Blaine knew he wouldn't be able to hold out for long, but he intended to drink in every ounce of the pleasure he had left.

Damien wanted more than anything to see Blaine coming apart. He was absolutely gorgeous when he came, when he let go of every last bit of control and threw all caution to the wind. He wished he could be the only one who ever got to see it, but that wouldn't be fair. They had all of eternity, and variety was the spice of life. Feeding and sex went hand in hand too often for Damien to ever think of even asking for his childre to refrain from doing what felt right. Their lives were their own. He only sought to protect them from real harm in a world that never seemed to fully understand their kind. As he moved, Damien's teeth gently grazed the taut column of Blaine's neck. "I won't drink tonight... you've lost enough blood already. But next time," he whispered, hoping that there would be one.

Blaine shivered at the light touch of Damien's teeth, which promised so much more and left him aching. "Yes," he agreed without hesitation, "yes, next time..." He drew his sire impossible closer, his legs trembling around the other vampire. Damien's insanely long cock plunged even deeper, and Blaine fairly whimpered as his sensitive body arched and grasped around him. He nipped at Damien's tempting throat, from which he'd been feeding only moments earlier. His desire was so overpowering that Blaine simply could not help but sink his fangs into his throat. Rich, thick vampire blood flowed into his mouth again, while-at the same time-he eased a digit between his sire's thrusting ass cheeks.

The sharp sting was entirely pleasure as Damien continued to move. He groaned at the feeling of Blaine's finger circling his entrance. Shifting just slightly, Damien reached between their bodies to take Blaine's cock in hand. "Wanna feel you cum," he panted against his childe's ear. "I want to hear you scream for me. Can you do that, beautiful? Let me hear how much you want it..."

Blaine wanted that more than anything in the world, but he also didn't want the moment to end. He drank deeply of his sire's rich, sweet blood while simultaneously clamping down on Damien's thrusting length and teasing his quivering opening. His entire body was aflame with lust, and he arched uncontrollably into the other vampire's caress. "Yes, oh god... yes!" Blaine gasped out, his mouth ringed dark crimson. "Make me cum, Damien... fuck me hard, fuck me... fuck me..." He was babbling, completely out of his mind by this point. Desperation rolled off his body in waves, and Blaine knew he would never be satisfied until Damien gave him exactly what he needed.

It felt so good that it almost hurt to move faster, but Damien did just the same. He couldn't deny Blaine. he could do nothing but press himself into his lover's hungry body, now flush with his own blood, and the darkly delicious sight of the blood ringing his full lips. "Need you... need you to cum for me," Damien finally panted. He knew he wouldn't last. Being with Blaine again was too perfect for him to hold back. Knowing that he could play on the lingering traces of Finn in his childe's system, Damien added in a growling whisper, "Now."

By this point, Blaine had completely lost his mind. Lust, the like of which he had ever known, fully possessed him. And he churned his hips in a desperate effort to draw out the pleasure a little longer. But when Damien ordered him to let go, there was no holding back. An anguished cry of tormented ecstasy wrenched itself from Blaine's throat. Then, his body quaked violently beneath Damien's as he tensed and arched... and fairly exploded in torrents of coming. Pleasure jolted through his limbs, sending him into erratic spasms while the dark curls on his head thrashed from side to side. He clawed at his sire in desperation, holding tightly to him as his devastating climax threatened to tear him apart.

Damien rode the wave, savoring every jerk and gasp and spasm of Blaine's beautiful body beneath his own. He thrust hard and deep as Blaine finally slowed, and it took little more than that to tip him over the edge as well. He needed to cum as badly as his childe had moments before. Damien gritted his teeth against the urge to sink his fangs into Blaine's tempting neck and instead kissed his way along the taut curve instead. "You are the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen... and you're mine." /Maybe just for tonight, but mine./

Still recovering from his earth shattering climax, Blaine continued to cling to Damien as his senses returned. "Yours," he agreed, his throat rough and raw. Every brain cell was essentially fried, and he had no reason to question his actions. He had wanted Damien, and his sire had generously given him exactly what he'd needed. Shivering at the brush of the other vampire's cool lips across his sensitive flesh, Blaine whimpered softly. "Thank you... for staying here, for being with me... I don't think I could have made it alone tonight."

"You don't ever have to be alone. Ever." Damien gathered his child in close and carefully shifted so that he lay beside the other vampire instead without ever allowing a breath of space between them. "Close your eyes. I'm going to be here with you all day. We can clean up tomorrow evening... maybe order something delivered." By 'something,' of course, he meant someone, but Blaine always seemed a bit more hesitant about such things than he was himself. "Right now you need rest. You've had a hell of a week, beautiful." Damien kissed Blaine's unruly curls and wrapped his arms around his childe's back.

When evening came again, Damien noted that Blaine seemed somewhat less enamored, more himself. It wasn't surprising. They processed the blood so quickly that he hadn't expected it to last. Still he felt a pang of regret even as he joined Blaine in the shower so that they could divest themselves of the evidence of the previous evening. "Tell you what, I'll go find us something to eat... meet me at my place in a couple hours?"


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

**Author's Notes:** In which Kurt tries to make amends and things get messy. Trigger Warning: non-con (kissing only) and depression.

Kurt spent the next day thrumming with excitement. He barely heard a word in his classes and despite being tired, he felt as if he was walking on air. Being shoved into a locker and nearly being tripped in the cafeteria made hardly a dent in his mood. He was going to find Blaine. He was going to fix everything, and it would be fine. Nothing else mattered. Mercedes had agreed to the plot at once. They made sure they were on the same page about working on a performance that might work for sectionals, even discussed hypothetical song choices.

Thankfully the story - backed by Finn and double checked with a call to Mercedes' mother to be assured that her daughter was indeed on her way to the school to meet Kurt - worked, and Burt reluctantly gave him his blessing to leave. Kurt felt a pang of guilt, but he couldn't feel terrible about what he was doing. It was the only way. Maybe someday he could be honest with his father about it all, but for the moment, he only cared that soon he'd be with Blaine again. Kurt pulled up outside of Blaine's apartment complex and took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves and his racing heart. Praying that the vampire would be home, Kurt hurried inside and up the stairs. He rapped firmly on the door and held his breath as he waited for a sign of movement from within.

Blaine dressed and popped open a bottle of _True Blood_. Although Damien's blood had worked wonders on restoring what he had lost, he remained a little weak and he regretted not joining his sire in finding something more substantial than synthetic blood. He still felt guilty over Jeremiah's death. Knowing he wasn't responsible after all offered him little consolation. All the mortal had tried to do was offer his comfort, and he had paid for it with his life. Would the same thing have happened to Kurt? The worrying thought entered his mind, filling Blaine with dread. If Kurt had been with him that night, he might have been that crazed vampire's victim instead. It was highly likely, especially considering how beautiful and intoxicating Kurt was. That terrified him, and as badly as he missed and ached for Kurt, things probably turned out for the best if it meant ensuring his safety.

His head snapped up as a familiar scent reached him long before he heard the knock at the door. /Kurt.../ How? Why was he here? Blaine was on his feet and rushing forward before he could stop himself. He reached for the door and threw it open, barely suppressing a whimper at the sight which greeted him. "Kurt?"

Just the sight of Blaine was enough to bring a smile to Kurt's face. He wanted to throw his arms around the vampire and hold him close, but common sense held him in check. Blaine had sent him away the night before. /I told him it was over. I don't have any right to assume.../ But the light in Blaine's eyes gave him hope, and Kurt stepped in a bit closer. "I couldn't stay away. I'm so sorry for... for everything, and... I don't know if I can ever make it up to you, but I can't do this. I don't want to disappoint my dad or hurt him, but I need this. I need you. I love you, and... whatever it takes, whatever I have to do to be with you, it's worth it." Kurt stood in the doorway, uncertain and raw and praying that the words were enough to at least give them a chance.

Blaine didn't mean for it to happen. He had wanted to fight his feelings for Kurt. But he was utterly helpless, and he reached out and pulled the mortal into his arms, crushing Kurt against his chest. It felt wonderful holding him again, to feel him and to smell him and to... No, he couldn't do this. It was too dangerous. "Kurt," he started shakily, "you shouldn't have come here." Blaine forced himself to draw away, and losing contact filled him a palpable ache. "You could have been killed." Turning, he closed the door behind Kurt as he allowed him inside. "The police couldn't hold that vampire, and there's no telling where he might be."

"It... it doesn't matter," Kurt answered, though he couldn't suppress a shiver at the thought of the potential danger of the situation. The brief contact wasn't nearly enough, and Kurt moved in again, reaching out to take the hands that were retreating so quickly, closing the space between them again because he couldn't bear for it to remain. "I'll be careful. We'll be careful." He felt more sure than ever that he wasn't the only one suffering, and knowing that told him everything he really needed. Blaine didn't want to send him away. "I know you were trying to protect me last night, sending me away, I..." A niggling thought lodged in the back of Kurt's mind surfaced, and he asked hesitantly, "Why... why did you say that you did it?" He knew better than to think Blaine would ever be capable of something so cold, and the lie made no sense - especially since Blaine's panic had seemed real enough at the time.

"Because I thought I had," Blaine replied softly. He couldn't quite meet Kurt's gaze, as the guilt over having slept with someone else after the promises he had made tore him up inside. But if he ever hoped to keep Kurt safe, really safe... then, he would have to tell him everything and live with the consequences. "That night, I ran into an old friend at the bar. And... I brought him home. We were together, Kurt." The words hung in the air, cold and painful. "He let me feed, and he died soon after he left. So, you see... that's why I thought I'd killed him."

Kurt's fingers clenched reflexively around Blaine's as his mouth dropped open. "Oh," he managed in a shaky whisper. The image flashed into his mind unbidden: the beautiful blond that he'd barely spared a glance for, the one who had been sitting at Blaine's table. That was him. Kurt had broken Blaine's heart, left the scene, and all but thrown them together. For a moment he wasn't sure he could even breathe. Kurt's head spun, and he finally managed to force his lungs into action to keep from falling over. "Did... were... did you... care about him?" He couldn't bring himself to say the word love, couldn't bring himself to even think that the gorgeous man might have been more than someone to offer comfort in a time of need.

The waves of pain radiating from Kurt crashed into Blaine with the force of a hurricane. Having enhanced senses only made it worse, and the vampire physically reeled from the mortal's emotional turmoil. He managed to pull himself together, finding the whole situation even more difficult to bear. "Yes, I cared about him," Blaine murmured, again avoiding Kurt's gaze. "I made a fool out of myself over him. He was a crush, but that night was different. I should have never brought him back here." Gently pulling his hand free, he steeled himself for what he had to do. "Kurt, this-you and me-isn't going to work." Even saying the words nearly finished him, especially when all he wanted to do was embrace the teenager and declare his eternal love for him.

The words were harsher than hearing about Blaine's indiscretion had been. /And it wasn't even any indiscretion... not really... he had every right.../ The rejection hanging in the air hurt all the more because he knew that it was painfully close to what he'd said to Blaine not so long before. " Immediately defiant, Kurt lifted his chin and gave a slight shake of his head. "That isn't true. It's... it's not going to be easy, but it can work. We can _make_ it work. I know we can." Despite the fact that Blaine had very pointedly severed the contact between them, Kurt closed in on him again and reached out to lay a hand on Blaine's arm. "You love me. I know... I know you do." /He has to./ The truth was that he could suffer separation and pain and a million other things, but not the idea that what Blaine felt for him had somehow changed. He couldn't accept that something he held so close might not be real at all, that it might be the fantasy anyone with common sense would have told him it was. "Don't do this. I know what I did... it wasn't fair... to... to either of us, but... you don't have to do this."

Why did it have to be this way? Of all the terrible things Blaine had ever done since becoming a vampire, hurting Kurt was the most vile. He could only console himself with the fact that his actions were for the mortal's benefit. Because if Kurt continued to immerse himself in the world of the undead, then there was no doubt in Blaine's mind that he would share Jeremiah's fate. "It isn't anything you did," Blaine told him. "I understand why we couldn't see each other. If I were mortal and a father, I wouldn't want my son going out with a vampire either." Again, he pulled his hand free. It was monstrously painful, but Blaine soldiered on. "Kurt... Damien and I... we were together last night. After you left..." The words hung heavy in the air, like building storm clouds. "He wants me, he told me so. You have no idea what the bond between us is like." And then, lightning rained down. "I can't be with you because I want to be with him."

Kurt opened his mouth to protest. Blaine had told him that he wasn't close to his sire, that they weren't together. He swayed, uncertain whether he was going to faint or step back, and finally managed the later, an awkward, stumbling movement back toward the door. Voice sounding as dull and numb as the rest of him, Kurt whispered, "I want to say you're lying because... if you aren't... then I don't know what I can trust. Because if you aren't, I'm an even bigger idiot than I ever thought." Because no matter what Blaine said, Kurt was horrified to realize that it hurt, but it didn't change anything. A word, a gesture and he would move into Blaine's arms and be grateful for the chance. He hated that weakness. Too many people in his life already got to pull his strings and push him around for their own entertainment. _This _was supposed to be different. _This _was supposed to be better. "That's all." It was meant to be a question, but Kurt knew that it wasn't as soon as he spoke the words. It was an ending instead, and he managed to stay on his feet and walking in a straight line all the way back down to the SUV. At that point Kurt gave up any semblance of grace and finally let himself fall apart, sobbing against the steering wheel until the tears cleared enough that he could drive away.

Kurt managed with difficulty to get into the house without arousing the suspicion of Burt and Carol. He called out an appropriately cheery greeting and some chatter about wanting to look for a different song selection before sprinting up the stairs. Instead of rushing to his own room, he found himself careening toward Finn's. Facing telling Finn later and stretching out the pain was too much. He'd already texted Mercedes in the car, though Kurt had ignored her attempts to follow the contact up with a call. Trembling again as he let the events of the night crash over him, Kurt knocked sharply on Finn's door. "I-it's me."

Finn didn't have to see his stepbrother to know that something was terribly wrong. He could hear the awful pain in Kurt's voice, and he was on his feet and answering his door in a protective rush. "Kurt?" Finn's heart gave an painful thud against his ribs. Kurt appeared more shattered than even he had imagined. It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize that things had not gone well between him and Blaine. "What happened?" he asked stupidly.

Kurt all but staggered into the room and shut the door, falling back against it. He tried his best to catch his breath and relate things calmly. Finn wouldn't understand if he fell apart again. Carefully keeping his eyes averted so that he could think, Kurt began, "He was... he seemed... happy to see me... hugged me and... I apologized... for... for leaving. He told me why he thought he killed someone. He'd... he'd brought him home. They were... they were together, and... then he left... but... it was someone else who killed him." His own voice sounded strange and distant, his whole being aching with the thought of Blaine with someone else. "I still... wanted to stay... he... told me that... that last night, he was with Damien... _with _him. His sire," Kurt clarified absently, "the one who... was there when we left... said that he... that he didn't want me... wanted Damien... I..." The shaking set in again, and Kurt realized his hands hurt from gripping the doorknob so hard, but he couldn't force his fingers to let go for fear his knees would buckle.

Finn tried to take it all in, only to find himself confused and strangely hurt over what had happened to his stepbrother. None of it made any sense. It was clear that Blaine loved Kurt. There was absolutely no mistaking the depth of emotion the vampire felt for him. So, why would Blaine tell Kurt he wanted to be with Damien? Finn had a million questions he wanted to ask, but he was more concerned about Kurt to ask them. The other teen looked ready to collapse, and the jock quickly took his arm to shepherd him over to a chair. He draped a protective arm around him, drawing him in a blanket of insulating comfort. A potent mixture of anger and jealousy welled up inside of Finn. Angry over his brother being in pain, jealousy over the vampires. He had desperately, obsessively wanted Damien. And then, suddenly, inexplicably, his attention had turned to Blaine. Now the vampires were together, and... Finn shook his head. He couldn't think about himself, not now when Kurt needed him the most. "I'm sorry," he murmured, "I'm so sorry, Kurt."

The comfort was worse than the silence somehow, and Kurt leaned into the gentle embrace, unable to stop the tears from flowing all over again. He couldn't remember ever feeling more miserable. "Shouldn't've gone," he mumbled against Finn's dampened t-shirt. It had been better when they were apart but Kurt still felt sure of everything between them. Now he didn't know what to believe and the idea that any of the sweet memories he held so close were lies cut him more deeply than anything else. "Why would... why..." There was no real question he could ask, and Kurt gave up, simply crying until he was too drained to do even that. Finally he drew back, sniffling and offering Finn a watery smile. "I'm sorry... I'm... I'm a mess... I..." Quietly, he asked, "Is this what it was like? When you couldn't see him? The one who... who you were with? Was it... It feels like I can't even breathe."

Finn didn't quite know how to explain it to Kurt. "Yeah, a little... it was worse, like I would've died if I didn't see him again." He sighed, and gave an involuntary shiver. "Remember in class when I was making myself bleed? That was the craziness I was going through. You're not like that, dude. Your heart's broken, and I'm sorry I ever suggested you go and talk to Blaine." He blamed himself, despite having the best of intentions. Finn had hoped things would work out between Kurt and Blaine, but it had only ended up an even bigger mess than when it started. "Damn vampires," he murmured angrily. "Why did they have to make themselves known in the first place? Things were okay before we knew they were real."

The anger was surprisingly comforting, and let out a soft sigh. "Maybe dad was right. Maybe... maybe we just aren't meant to mix with them." That still didn't _feel _right, but nothing really did anymore. The only thing Kurt could feel with any certainty was the pain and the loss and the lonely idea of spending the rest of his life without ever seeing Blaine again. "It's... it's still okay if I sleep in here?" he ventured. Being lonely was one thing, but Kurt knew he wasn't in any shape to be alone. He couldn't lie in the dark alone thinking about everything that had gone wrong.

"You don't even have to ask, bro," Finn replied, managing a warm half-smile. It took quite an effort on his part; more angry than he could ever remember feeling, Finn's instinct demanded that he track down Blaine and beat him to a pulp. No one hurt his stepbrother, not while on his watch. Of course, he had done his fair share to cause Kurt pain lately. Vampires, again. If Damien hadn't put him under a spell and insisted on keeping Blaine and Kurt apart, then maybe none of this would have ever happened. "C'mon, get yourself cleaned up," he encouraged, steering Kurt toward the bathroom. "I'll bring up some junk food, and we can watch some trashy TV till you're ready to sack out. Okay?"

Kurt's shoulders sagged, but he managed a smile that looked slightly more convincing. "Thank you." He disappeared into the bathroom and tried to lose himself in the ritual of it. The week had been crazy, and he'd hardly bothered to moisturize or properly condition his hair. The monotonous action helped to calm Kurt's nerves though ultimately it made him feel no better than before. Finally he dried himself off and found some pajamas before wandering back into Finn's room and installing himself on the bed. He was resolved to indulge himself in ridiculously caloric food and horrible TV until he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. Somehow, he wasn't going to think about Blaine. He wasn't going to think about anything at all.

Spending the evening keeping Kurt company only seemed to add to the weight of Finn's guilt. His stepbrother's suffering was partially his fault, but he couldn't bring himself to tell him. Kurt would hate him for the rest of his life, and that was something Finn couldn't stand the thought of. As the evening grew later, they decided to call it a night, and the jock went to bed filled with turmoil. Why would Blaine reject Kurt? It made no sense, and Finn wanted answers. His mind ticked over with ways to sneak out in order to track the vampire down. As soon as he could get away, he determined to find Blaine and find out what the hell was really going on. If he ever hoped to make amends to Kurt-whether his brother knew what he'd done or not-then he had to start somewhere. With that settled, Finn finally allowed himself to rest, but only when he was sure Kurt had managed to drift to sleep.

Kurt spent the next morning in a daze. He'd slept fitfully and woken in pain both mentally and physically, his body yearning for rest he couldn't quite let himself have. Instead he managed to make himself presentable. He couldn't talk himself into putting his usual time into his hair or wardrobe. Kurt knew he looked as drab and tired as he felt. All through the drive to school Finn tried hard to make conversation, but Kurt barely managed to answer. He begged off any further attempts by his stepbrother to make things better by assuring Finn he had homework to get finished.

Instead Kurt sequestered himself in the library, skipping two classes and lunch to hide amidst the stacks. He emerged finally to go to English and ended up lingering by his locker staring down at his phone. Blaine's number on his contact list taunted him. It would be so easy to remove it. He could get rid of Blaine's number and pretend that he wasn't tempted to text him, to call just to see if his voice was on the voicemail. Instead Kurt found his focus broken by a sudden shove and the harsh bite of the metal locker door against his shoulder. He gasped at the sudden pain and looked up to see Dave Karofsky smirking and making his way down the hall.

Normally Kurt shrugged those moments off. He was too tired to do anything else. After everything he'd been through Kurt couldn't. He felt a blinding flash of rage and hissed out, "What the HELL is your problem?" before any coherent thought could stop him. Kurt stalked forward as the jock turned to face him. He caught a flash of confusion and something else, but then Karofsky just walked away. He pushed off into the locker room and Kurt was hot on his heels. The slighter boy was yelling almost at once. They seemed to be alone in the room. Normally he might have considered shutting up for his own self preservation. If he'd analyzed his own motivations, Kurt would've had to admit that he simply didn't have anything left to preserve, so he snapped at the other man without any restraint.

Kurt expected to be hit or shoved again or even ignored. He didn't expect Karofsky to grab his shoulders and kiss him hard on the lips. Kurt recoiled the moment the jock's grip went slack and let out a soft sound of alarm when Dave's hand reached out again. He couldn't hear anything over the sound of the blood rushing through his ears. Dave was saying something, yelling and then slamming his fist against the lockers, but Kurt just stared until he was gone. Uncertain of whether he was blacking out or just swimming in confusion, Kurt finally found himself on his feet. The door to the locker room had opened.

Kurt fled the scene as quickly as possible. He gave up all idea of going to class or glee practice and took refuge in the SUV instead. Finn would come out as soon as he'd finished and they could go home. They could go home and he could never come back again. When the door finally closed behind him, Kurt took a shuddering breath. Karofsky had kissed him, had attacked him. More than that, Karofsky had taken away something even more important. If Kurt was never kissed again, he'd wanted Blaine's lips to be the last that touched his own, the last that he ever tasted. The thought brought fresh tears, and Kurt prayed that the parking lot would remain empty until Finn came out to find him.

When Kurt failed to show up for practice, it had taken all of Finn's self restraint not to excuse him and searching the halls of McKinley for his stepbrother. It wasn't like Kurt, and the jock's concern ratcheted further when Mercedes confided that she hadn't seen her best friend in class. What could have happened? Several notions presented themselves one after another in Finn's mind. He wondered if Kurt has simply run off to see Blaine, only to stupidly remind himself that it was daytime and that vampires adhered to that legend about sleeping and avoiding the sun at least.

Time passed by slowly. But, when the bell finally rang, Finn was on his feet and out of the choir room door without a word to his friends. He roamed through the corridors, checking the usual places... only to come up empty and even more worried. On the verge of panicking and calling home, Finn headed out to the parking lot on instinct where-with an enormous sigh of relief-he found Kurt sitting in his SUV. "Dude!" Finn exclaimed, opening the door and piling inside. Where have you been?" He stopped. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. Kurt looked like hell, and it was Finn's assumption that the other teen had fallen apart over Blaine. "It's okay, hey..." His anger threatened to boil over, even as he tried to be a rock of support for Kurt. /Vampires.../ They were to blame for everything bad that had happened. And, if if was the last thing Finn Hudson ever did, he was going to find out why Blaine had rejected and hurt his brother.

Kurt considered filling Finn in on everything, but it was too much. He didn't want to think about it, let alone talk about. "I'm sorry, I just... I think I need a little time..." He gave a slight shake of his head and wiped his eyes. They made the drive home in relative silence. His melancholy seemed to have silenced even Finn's tongue. By the time they reached the house, Kurt felt sluggish with the lack of sleep and being entirely overwrought. He forced himself to relative alertness for dinner and even tried to answer questions from Carol and his father about the day politely. Kurt could see from the watchful stare his father kept fixing on him that his attempts were weak, but the fact that he made them at all seemed to ease some of their worries.

After dinner Kurt threw in the towel. He brushed off Finn's attempts to coax him into doing homework together. "I think I'm going to lie down. I didn't sleep well last night... and... maybe then I'll try to tackle that essay." Kurt's smile looked almost convincing before he disappeared into his own room and closed the door tightly behind him.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

**Author's Note: **Mordred reveals himself and a whole new problem is comes to light. There's a squick touched on here, but I can't say what it is without spoiling the surprise. Just know that nothing's graphic, so don't sweat it too hard.

Merlin drifted off in his lover's arms and slept soundly until it was nearly evening again. He stirred with an effort and stumbled his way through a shower and breakfast. The windows finally went dark, and Merlin smiled at the knowledge that Arthur would soon be up as well. The sound of a knock at the door distracted him from the pleasant prospect, and Merlin went to the door to find Mr. Reddorm. Merlin's smile broadened at the sight, and he beckoned the man inside. "I'm so glad you're here! I was going to call you. I know there's nothing we can do to repay you, but... anything. It's yours."

"No thanks, necessary. The two of you have helped me as well." Before Merlin could question the statement, Mordred stepped inside and looked around. "Thankfully I have a few contacts in real estate. A bit intrusive, I realize, but it allowed me to find you. I had hoped to speak with Arthur. I don't suppose he's awake just yet?"

When Arthur woke, he was distinctly aware of two things: firstly, Merlin had already gotten up and left their bed, and secondly, he sensed a presence he had not felt in centuries. He sat up with a start, his fangs appearing as his entire body coiled with tension. /Mordred.../ Arthur did not want to believe it could be possible. But it was an unmistakable sensation. It was as if a lightning rod had replaced his spine, and electric bolts were sizzling through him. Wrenching the covers aside, the enraged vampire fairly flew out of the bed and into the hall. Arthur could hear Merlin talking, and then... _that _voice! "YOU!" he snarled, lunging into the next room and seizing Mordred by the throat.

Merlin barely had time to react before the man he'd known as the Last Drop's manager for the better part of a year flicked his fingers. Arthur flew back as if he'd been shoved and the man gave a shake of his head. "Well, I'd hoped that you might at least try to be polite. After all, Arthur," Mordred chided with a smile, "you wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for me. You'd be rotting in a hole somewhere." He turned his attention to Merlin next. "I hope you'll forgive the misdirection. As you can see, there are some difficulties in my revealing myself, and I thought it might be best if we got reacquainted without the baggage of the past between us."

It was easy enough to put the pieces together, and Merlin took a step back, "Mordred."

"One and the same," the man agreed with a sweeping bow and an easy laugh. "Now, there's really no need to look so horrified. Have I done anything to harm either of you? Anything at all? The only bad blood between us is centuries ago. Arthur, you should consider letting go of the past - especially when the three of us have such a bright future together."

"We having nothing together!" Arthur snarled, his fangs flashing as he gathered himself to his full height again. His fingers curled as if they had transformed into claws, and it took a monumental effort on his part not to rush Mordred and tear his throat out. Rage swelled deep inside of Arthur. Mordred had condemned him to an eternity of torment. He did not trust for a moment that his sire had either his or Merlin's best interests at heart. "You helped free me for a reason," Arthur accused, shielding Merlin with his body. "Whatever plans you have, forget them-now!"

"Oh, I'm afraid it's far too late. You two have actually done all the work for me - well, most of it." The man smiled, the expression no longer warm but cold, teasing perhaps but not welcoming in the slightest. The man lifted his hand and a tiny tendril of light flew from the tips of his fingers. Ignoring Arthur entirely, he addressed Merlin, "You recognize this?"

The sorcerer frowned but nodded over Arthur's shoulder. "Yes, the fae use it for detecting illness and..."

"And?" Some of the humor had returned to Mordred's eyes as he let the glowing blue light twist in the air above his hand. "What else, Merlin?"

"And for, well... as a pregnancy test."

"Precisely. The magic sees any invasion of the body the same way, really, and can pinpoint it easily." Mordred stepped forward and, when Arthur tensed, held up his other hand to freeze the man in place. "Now, now. Be nice. Wouldn't want anyone to get hurt." He smiled at the equally apprehensive look on Merlin's face. "You needn't look so worried. You aren't sick, and he can't get sick. It's good news." As Mordred chuckled, the light moved away from him at last and swirled its way through the air toward Merlin.

The tendril expanded until it was a thin sheet like ephemeral gossamer that canvassed the sorcerer's body carefully as it sought anything out of place. He'd been through similar exams during his time in the other realm and seen it done, had even learned the spell though it had little use in the human world where few fae walked. Finally the light came to rest in front of Merlin and its glow changed from a soft blue to vibrant purple. Merlin swallowed and shook his head. "There's no way that-"

"Don't worry, it's perfectly safe. Magical, you see. You're every bit as much a man as you always have been... just a bit special for a time. Around nine months, should all go well." Mordred finally turned to Arthur and smiled the smile of a man supremely pleased with himself. "Congratulations! You're going to be a father."

Stunned, Arthur found he had temporarily lost the ability to form words. He gaped between Merlin and Mordred, his already icy blood turning that much colder. "What have you done?" Arthur found his voice again, his hands curling into fits as he fairly shook with rage. His eyes, blazing with anger, focused on Mordred, who seemed nonplussed by his ire. "Tell me!" he shouted, his fangs glinting. "What have you done?" If Mordred failed to answer, then Arthur would not hesitate in choking it from him. Even if it meant being destroyed in the effort.

"Facilitated a miracle. Obviously." Mordred gave a shake of his head and a long-suffering sigh. "You really should be more grateful, Arthur. I've given you eternity, and now I've given you a family." He held up a hand as Arthur moved toward him. "I wouldn't. You'll want me when the baby is ready to be born. Magical births are hardly standard. But you're overwhelmed. Of course you are. I'll leave you to it." The man chuckled as he walked casually toward the door. "You may as well enjoy this." Mordred met Arthur's gaze evenly. "I do owe you, after all. Consider this repayment."

Only when the door closed again did Merlin feel able to breathe. In its creator's absence, the magic faded into the air. "He isn't lying," Merlin said in a tremulous whisper. More loudly, as if volume might equal renewed strength, he added, "I don't know how, but he isn't lying."

Unprepared for Mordred's return, let alone the fact Merlin was now pregnant, Arthur was left completely reeling. A part of him could understand why his father had been so fearful of magic when it resulted in situations like the one he and his lover now found themselves in. Snapping himself of a trance, Arthur turned and placed a tentative hand on Merlin's stomach. "Are you alright?" he whispered, swallowing hard. "Is there a way... to reverse the spell?" A million thoughts raced through the vampire's mind. He couldn't fathom the purpose for Mordred's actions, but his main concern was for Merlin's well-being. If he died from this...

"I'm... I'm fine, I think," Merlin answered, still sounding too shell-shocked to be entirely sure. He swallowed hard and met Arthur's gaze. He was surprised at how much the suggestion of reversing the spell hurt, but he reminded himself that it made sense. They didn't know anything about the child, didn't know whether it was really theirs or what Mordred's purpose could be. After a long pause, Merlin shook his head, "I don't know one." His hand reached up to tentatively cover Arthur's. "Maybe it doesn't have to be a bad thing," he suggested softly.

Arthur drew back, gaping at Merlin incredulously. "How can you say that?" he wondered aloud. "Mordred has done this for a reason. And he's never done anything for the good of anyone but himself." Feeling at a total loss, the vampire knew that needless worrying was not going to help Merlin or the situation they'd both found themselves in. Arthur gently led his beloved over to a chair, urging him to sit down. He knelt down, folding Merlin's hands into his own. "We're going to get through this together," he promised, choking on a surge of emotion. "I'm going to be here for you, always. No matter what."

Merlin found himself swallowing tears and nodded, though he couldn't quite meet Arthur's gaze. He knew that the vampire was right. Of course there was a reason. Of course there was some dark motivation. Of course. But he couldn't quite push the idea away that something started with bad intentions could still end well. "We'll figure it out," he echoed with a smile that only felt a little hollow. "I'm sure we will."Merlin squeezed his lover's hands tight and tried to believe the words. "It's going to be fine."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

**Author's Notes: **Blaine takes some time for himself and Damien checks in with Mike & Gill.

It was the hardest thing Blaine had ever done. He hated himself for putting Kurt through so much pain. But if he ever hoped to keep the mortal safe, then it was for the best. At least, that's how Blaine tried to console himself. It didn't help that his actions had shredded his unbeating heart to pieces, or that all he wanted to do was race after Kurt, hold him and beg his forgiveness. He leaned his forehead against the door, his shoulders trembling as he gave into the overwhelming sadness that threatened to crush him beneath its weight. His eyes welled with blood, and scarlet tears rained down onto his cheeks. Never would he be able to erase the hurt and betrayal wrenching Kurt's beautiful face. Unable to remain in his apartment alone, he tugged open the door and hurried out into the night.

Swallowed by the blanket of darkness, Blaine didn't stop moving until he reached Damien's condo. Although he had lied to Kurt about his feelings for his sire, Blaine's instincts had kicked in and drew him toward the other vampire regardless. He knocked on his door, his face a macabre mask of the evidence of his emotional turmoil.

Damien opened the door. He'd been able to smell Blaine coming a mile away. The mortal he'd picked up was sprawled comfortably on the couch with a glass of wine, content to wait until he was wanted. At the sight of Blaine, Damien felt anger flashing through him. The scent of Kurt was all over him, and he looked miserable. Damien reached out and ushered his childe in without a word, folding him in close. "What did he do?" He tried his best to keep the words understanding though he thrummed with anger. If Kurt had done anything to harm his childe, he would find the mortal and rip his throat out.

"He... Kurt, didn't do anything," Blaine faltered, shaking his head insistently. Replaying the events for Damien was just as painful as when they'd occurred. "I didn't expect to see him tonight. But he came to my apartment, and he said he wanted to work things out so we could be together." His eyes, caked with dried blood, streamed fresh crimson as he glanced up at his sire. "I lied and I hurt him. It was the only way to keep him safe. I love him, but I can't be with him." Was he trying to convince himself? Blaine didn't know anymore. He'd never known true happiness before Kurt, and now it could never be. How could he subject Kurt to a life with him, when every vampire in existence would be a threat to him?

Damien felt the force of his childe's sadness, aching with it himself as he held Blaine close. It didn't matter that the mortal on the couch looked utterly mystified or that his shirt was getting soaked with bloody tears. All he wanted was to take that pain away. "I'm so sorry... but you did the right thing. You did." Damien leaned back so that he could search Blaine's face. He began carefully wiping the tears away. "It isn't safe for him coming around here, and... it never ends well with them. Speaking of which, we... we need to check on your brother later. After you've eaten." He nodded toward the pretty redheaded boy sitting on the couch. "Take a little. You need it. Then we'll go and see Mike. It's going to be alright. No matter what happens, we always have each other. You have a family. You won't be alone in this, Blaine. I swear."

Blaine trusted Damien, but it felt like the end of the world and he doubted things would ever be alright again. He vaguely took in the mortal draped over his sire's couch. Blaine determined the boy was more than likely a fang-banger Damien had picked up. The redhead perked up at the sight of another vampire, and the excitement to feed two rolled off the mortal in waves. Blaine honestly couldn't have cared less. But... he was starving. He still hadn't recovered fully from last night, and his heartbreaking encounter with Kurt had left him with a terrible ache. "Okay," he finally agreed. It was the best he could manage. Uncaring that he looked like a macabre mess covered in bloody tears, Blaine stalked over to the eager fang-banger. He lunged forward, grabbing a handful of the boy's thick hair, tugging and exposing his throat. A flash of fangs, and he was slicing into hot flesh and devouring the delicious blood which flowed into his mouth.

Damien considered joining in but decided to refrain. He'd gotten a bite before he came back, and given Blaine's rather ruthless demeanor at the moment, he didn't want to risk truly harming the boy. Things were awkward enough for their kind. The mortal was writhing anyway, gasping and arching and doing everything he could to entice Blaine. Damien almost told him to knock it off, but it didn't matter. His childe didn't care, and the mortal would figure that out when he got thrown out on his ass in a few minutes. He was there as food, and if he was disappointed not to get more out of it, that was really his issue. Gently Damien reached out and ran his fingers through the curling hair at the base of Blaine's neck. "That's enough, beautiful. Let's clean you up and go see your brother."

Blaine broke away, his mouth drenched in blood. He blinked up at Damien uncomprehendingly for a moment, making a token growl of complaint being denied more. Then, the blood-lust cleared and he nodded slowly. "Yeah, okay..." Almost as an afterthought, he murmured to the redhead whose throat he'd been feasting on, "Thank you..." Moving away, Blaine felt stronger but no less emotionally shattered. Leaving Damien to deal with his guest, he made his way into the bathroom, showered and then borrowed some of his sire's clothes to wear. When he returned he found the mortal gone, and Damien waiting for him. "Is everything alright with Mike?" he wondered, concentrating on someone else's problems other than his own. "You sounded worried."

"He met someone, some fang banger who got under his skin," Damien groused, obviously annoyed, "and the idiot went and got himself killed. Which should have been the end of it, but apparently a demon took a liking to him. Now he's possessed, making a mess of things. Apparently the demon already slaughtered the kid's family. He has no idea it's even going on." The whole thing was a ridiculous mess, and he hated the danger it put Mike in. "Mike doesn't want me to exorcise him because then the boy dies too. Nevermind that he's dead already." Damien gave a shake of his head and reached for Blaine's hand. "You don't have to come, but I don't want you alone, and I need to make sure he's alright, see if he's come to his senses about this."

"Wait? What?" It was almost too much to properly take in. Blaine had to literally pause and allow himself a moment to process the information. "Is Mike in any danger?" That's what he wanted to know first and foremost. How could they hope to deal with a possessed mortal? Blaine had never encountered one before, although he had heard stories. As he accepted Damien's offered hand, his own problems suddenly seemed trivial in comparison to what Mike was going through. If the boy could be saved, then maybe there was hope for one of them to be happy. As they headed out and made their way toward the Asian vampire's apartment, Blaine didn't think it was fair that both he and Mike should be utterly miserable.

"I don't know," Damien answered honestly as he threaded his fingers together with Blaine's. He relished the gentle contact and wondered how long Blaine would still need it as the pain of losing Kurt wore off. "I hope not. So far the demon seems like he's... interested. Having fun. But there's no way to know how long that will last." It scared him to think of what could happen to Mike if the demon tired of playing with his new toy and wanted to do more damage. "I hope we can fix things before it comes to that." Damien lifted his hand and knocked sharply at the door. "It's me," he called. With everything going on, he suspected Mike would be nervous to open the door for just anyone.

Blaine wondered how they could ever hope to 'fix things' as Damien had succinctly put it. Did his sire know how to exorcise a demon? It occurred to him at that moment that Damien's past was shrouded in mystery. Despite their closeness, the older vampire had shared very little about the days before they had met. So, as far as Blaine could surmise, Damien had handled thousands of these kind of unique situations before. Although, somehow he doubted it. Whatever happened, Blaine hoped that Mike at least might find happiness. /Kurt.../ He ached at the thought of the beautiful mortal, and if it hadn't been for Damien grasping his hand, he had no idea what he would have done.

Just then the door opened, and Mike-wearing a robe-peered at his guests. "Damien? Blaine? I didn't expect you both tonight," he said, clearly surprised.

"I was worried about you," Damien explained earnestly. "After yesterday..." He trailed off, catching sight of Gill moving up behind the vampire. At least the boy had the sense to look uncertain and hang back. He too was under-dressed, clad in nothing but his boxers. Damien considered his options and decided to be civil for the moment since Mike wasn't in any immediate danger from what he could see. "Blaine's had a rough night, and it seemed like a good time to check in. If we aren't interrupting?"

Behind Mike, Gill swallowed hard. The vampire's sire made him edgy. The man looked young and somewhat unkempt and non-traditional but still managed to convey the kind of authority that Gill associated with past teachers and principals. It made him nervous, and he wished he had a good excuse to leave altogether.

Mike appreciated Damien's concern, but his sire's timing left much to be desired. "Everything's fine, thanks," he murmured, aware of Gill's presence behind him. The last thing he wanted was for it to come out that his lover was possessed before he ever had a chance to tell him. He focused on Blaine and Damien comment about his 'brother's' rough night. "What about you?" he directed his query towards Blaine. "You look like you've been through hell."

Blaine shuffled his feet, staring down at them and regretting his sorrow. "Yeah," he murmured, not wanting to take away from Mike's problem. Everything seemed to be alright with the Asian vampire. There were no signs of anything untoward having happened, and Blaine wondered if Damien's worries might be unnecessary. One of them should have the right to be happy, even if Mike's mortal lover had demonic baggage. Again, Kurt filled his mind, and the aching void in his undead heart widened. /Those eyes.../ It physically pained him to remember the hurt he had willingly caused, even if his intentions had been noble. Blaine broke away from Damien, apologies spilling from his mouth. "I'm sorry. I can't do this, not now. Please, I need some time to think... alone."

Damien knew the hurt registered on his face before he could hide it, but he nodded. "Of course. Whatever you need." Blaine had made the break with Kurt, and he really couldn't ask for more. Only time would ease the memory into what it should be - an interesting encounter long since past. He couldn't resist brushing his fingers quickly along his childe's cheek, but the contact was fleeting, and Damien stepped aside to let Blaine escape from the situation a second later. "Just... come to me if you need me."

Wondering what had happened to the other vampire, Gill found himself filled with sympathy. Blaine looked absolutely miserable. As soon as he was gone, Gill couldn't help asking, "Is he okay?"

Damien's gaze jerked away from the now-closed door to the blond, and he fought the urge to snap that it wasn't any of his business. Instead he nodded slowly. "He will be. He needs time." His gaze moved over to Mike, and he studied his child carefully. The other vampire looked somewhat put out but not really troubled. /Not yet./ "What about you?"

"I told you, I'm okay," Mike stressed, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. "We're both fine," he added, reaching behind him for Gill's hand. The Asian vampire gave it an encouraging squeeze, while flashing Damien his warmest smile. There was no need for his sire to worry. After all, the demon was in check, and he and Gill were very happy together. "I'm more concerned about Blaine. What happened to him? I've never seen him like that before." It was true. Blaine had always been amiable and giving; becoming a vampire had not changed that. So naturally, it deeply concerned him to see his friend in such a state.

"The boy he was with, the mortal... Blaine ended things. It isn't safe for him hanging around with everything that's been happening lately, and Blaine didn't want to see him hurt." As much as Damien wanted to order Gill away and press Mike for more information, he could feel Mike's tension as it was. His childe was too attached to think clearly for now. /It might get worse anytime. He's in danger./ Then again, maybe the demon would play nice, knowing he was being watched. Either way it wouldn't do any good wondering when Mike was obviously so unwilling to discuss the situation. "You should both be careful too." Damien moved toward the door only to hesitate for a moment. "We don't know the whole truth about the attacks. I don't want you to get hurt."

With the cryptic words hanging in the air, Gill frowned and shifted instinctively closer to Mike. He rested his chin on the vampire's shoulder and slid an arm around his waist. "Is he always like that? So... intense?"

Watching Damien's departing back with a frown, Mike nodded even as he found comfort in the warmth of Gill's body. "Not always," he murmured, closing the door. "And that's what worries me." The Asian vampire closed his eyes, settling his hand on the arm wrapped snugly around his waist. "Blaine has always been his favorite; Damien's never made any secret about that. If Blaine's hurting, he's hurting." His gaze flickered, and he turned his head and pressed a soft kiss to Gill's warm cheek. "I'm lucky to have you. Sometimes I don't know how I got along without you here with me."

Gill nodded slowly. "I hope Blaine's okay." He didn't want Mike's family to have problems. He wanted his lover to be happy and content and comfortable. Gill let out a sigh as he held the other man close. A smile stole across his lips. He couldn't help it. Being with Mike made him feel more at peace than ever before. "D'you think... should we try to find somebody to talk to about... y'know, about me?" There was only silence in reply, and Gill swallowed hard. "We both know I shouldn't be alive right now. What if it's just... just temporary or... something's... I dunno, something's really wrong?"

It was a subject Mike dearly wanted to avoid. How could he lie to Gill and tell him everything would be okay? Informing your lover that the reason he was alive was all thanks to a demon didn't rank highly on Mike's to-do list. "Nothing's wrong," he tried to sound reassuring. "You're alive, healthy, beautiful... and here with me." The Asian vampire turned in the mortal's arms, facing him and cupping his handsome face in his hands. "If there's anything to be concerned about, how about letting me do the worrying? You can still get frown lines, I can't." His tone was light and playful, perhaps more for his benefit than for Gill's. If the demon remained in check, then there was no need to divulge its presence... right?

"You tryin' to tell me you're gonna kick me out of I stop bein' pretty?" Gill teased in return. He couldn't help worrying, but obviously Mike didn't share his concern. Not wanting to spoil the moment, Gill leaned in to kiss his lover instead. "Guess I'll just have to make sure you stay interested. And, hell, maybe I'm not - alive, I mean. Maybe... I dunno, maybe I'll last longer." He knew he was already past his expiration date, so to speak, so it didn't seem crazy to think that whatever he'd been through might mean a few extra years somehow. /Or maybe less./ That was the thought that troubled him, the idea that he might fall apart at any moment and lose the thing he wanted most in the world.

"Stop worrying," Mike insisted, playfully mussing Gill's hair. "You're not going anywhere, and nothing's going to happen to take you away from me again." Then, more somberly, he added, "I won't let it." Embracing his lover, the Asian vampire cradled the back of Gill's head, tilting it back and covering his mouth with his own in an achingly tender kiss. His tongued dipped between succulent lips, questing all over until he was groaning from the sweetness of it all. "Now," he drew back, gazing into Gill's lovely eyes, "we need to do something about you eating." Mike shepherded the mortal toward the kitchen, switching on a light. "As much as I love drinking you, I'm not going to have you passing out because I took too much blood."

"I have a few thoughts about what I'd like to eat... but I'm guessing you mean food," Gill answered with a rueful sigh. He began pulling things out of the pantry and was soon making a pan of macaroni and cheese. "My cooking ability kinda never advanced beyond a ten year old level. That's the good stuff anyway, right?" As he stirred the pot, Gill's gaze kept drifting back over to his lover leaning back against the counter and looking gorgeous. "Do you ever miss food? Y'know, regular food? I think that would be one of the weirdest things. Like, I can do without sun and whatever, but... I think I'd miss food."

"Strangely, no," Mike replied, dark eyes relishing Gill's every move. "I mean, you'd think so. But your first instinct is blood, even if you don't know it yet. There's nothing like it." His tone took on an almost reverent air as he explained, "Rich, sweet and decadent. You'd think it would taste bitter and coppery, wouldn't you? I guess that changes when you're a vampire." When Mike smiled, his fangs emerged and he quickly covered his mouth bashfully. "Sorry," he apologized, "being this near you and talking about blood has this effect on me."

"You don't have to be embarrassed," Gill protested. He reached out and grabbed Mike's wrist, dragging it down from his mouth and moving into the vampire's space while the water worked toward a boil on the stove. "I want you to be hungry for me. I want you to need me as much as I need you... and after I eat, you can too if you want." He knew from experience that as long as he ate and drank and rested, he could donate more nights than not without feeling too worn down. It would catch up with him eventually, but in the meanwhile, Gill needed to share the intimacy with Mike as often as he could. "So don't hide, okay?"

"Alright, I won't," Mike agreed, feeling more at ease. His fangs were determined not to retract, and Gill's assurance made him less self-conscious over his uncontrollable vampire instincts. "But I don't want you to hide when you need me. Promise me you won't?" He drew his lover into a tender kiss, taking care not to puncture Gill's mouth. Boiling water drew his attention, and the Asian vampire drew back so that the other man could finish preparing his meal. "We'll have to do something about getting you some vitamins. That should help..." Mike trailed off, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Sorry, I can't help worrying about you."

"I'm glad. I'm glad you worry." Gill couldn't help smiling as he began to work on the food. "Vitamins are probably a good idea, yeah. And maybe I'll learn to cook something that's not, like, specially formulated for broke college students." He knew it would be important to improve his nutrition if Mike was going to feel from him regularly - and he very much wanted that. Even with Mike not eating, he found that he loved the domesticity of sitting down at the kitchen table and eating with the other man, chatting and playing footsie. Whatever he might have expected after their impromptu move in, it hadn't been for everything to be so sweet and normal. Gill hadn't thought he'd ever find that with anyone. He couldn't help but smile and reach for Mike's hand as he ate. Maybe the vampire was right: everything would be just fine. Why worry?


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

**Author's Notes: **In which Finn goes to confront Blaine and says the wrong things. Shades of non-con and bloodplay.

Finn frowned with deep concern. He considered chasing after Kurt, but all his efforts at getting his stepbrother to talk or cheer him up had failed. And Kurt had made it abundantly clear that he wanted to be left alone. That didn't stop Finn from worrying. He had a feeling that his Mom and Burt might have an inkling that something was going on. Although their parents were still keeping a close eye on them, he planned on finding a way to sneak out as soon as everyone was asleep. Finn's plans didn't extend beyond confronting Blaine. He really didn't care what happened. All he wanted was answers.

Struggling to finish his homework, Finn watched the clock and listened until the house fell silent. /It's now or never.../ He locked his bedroom door, and then padded over to the window. Finn heaved it open, slung his long legs over the sill, and then crawled down the tree outside. Hitting the ground, he glanced back up to make sure no lights came on. Darkness. Relief washed over the jock before he headed off, swallowed up by the night.

It was easy to find Blaine's apartment. After all, it shared the same building as Damien's. Finn clenched his fists reflexively, his blood boiling with anger over everything that had happened to him and Kurt. He stood before the vampire's door, steeled himself... then reached out and banged loudly.

Blaine started more at the faint scent of Kurt than the resounding knocking. At first it thrilled him, only to bring the vampire crashing back down again. Kurt wouldn't return-not after the way he'd purposely lied and ended things-and the source of the mortal's intoxicating smell intrigued him enough to galvanize him into action. He opened the door, and was more than a little surprised to find Kurt's stepbrother waiting on the other side. "Finn?" That was his name, wasn't it? "What are you doing here?"

Barging inside the apartment without an invitation, Finn focused his rage and confusion on Blaine. "I'm here for Kurt, and I want to know why-" He froze. The vampire's presence overwhelmed him with the force of a tidal wave, crashing into his senses and leaving him vulnerable and reeling. His mind blanked, and Finn had not felt such helplessness since he'd been under Damien's influence.

"Kurt? Is he alright? Has something happened?" No, Blaine had tasted Kurt's blood and he would know instinctively if the beautiful mortal was in any kind of danger. Finn could only be here for one reason and one reason alone: his rejection of Kurt. Whatever Finn wanted to hurl at him, he had it coming. But something had come over Kurt's brother. Finn appeared completely dazed, as if he were glamoured. And it didn't take long for Blaine to realize that he was entranced thanks to sharing his blood. "Finn? Maybe you'd better sit down." The mortal towered over him in height, and the way in which he swayed on his feet made Blaine fear that Finn might topple over.

"Are you hungry?" Finn whispered, unbuttoning his shirt and tugging at his collar. He ached to feed Blaine, to feel his fangs tearing at his flesh, and his cool lips drinking his blood. "You can have me..."

If Blaine had not fed on Damien's guest earlier, he might have been tempted to indulge. He couldn't control his vampire instincts, but this was one time he was grateful he possessed the ability to hold himself back. Willingly biting Kurt's brother was not an option. "Finn, I appreciate the offer... but you don't really want this," he said softly. /You're only drawn to me because you gave me your blood.../ It was awkward. Even more so when Finn's expression became crestfallen.

"Please?" the jock begged. He shirt halfway off, Finn moved closer to Blaine as if tugged by some magnetic force. "You have take as much as you want... all of me..."

Though he'd intended to wait awhile long, Damien didn't want to leave Blaine alone too long. He was too broken up about Kurt, too depressed, and he didn't want his childe to be by himself while he slogged through the turmoil. A familiar scent caught his attention as he approached the door. Though he usually showed great respect in not barging in on his family unannounced, Finn's scent smacked of danger - or at least an annoyance that Blaine didn't need. He shoved the door open, ready to confront the mortal angrily, to see Finn all but crawling into Blaine's lap on the couch. "What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded. The shock of Finn being there at all was tempered with an uneasy sort of jealousy. Damien wondered whether he was more bothered by seeing the boy with Blaine or seeing Blaine with the boy only to angrily dismiss the stray thought.

Something snapped Finn out of his trance. Damien's presence seemed to short-circuit whatever hold Blaine had over him. He shook his head as if to clear it. And the jock stood there feeling utterly humiliated and embarrassed. Anger welled up deep inside of him again, hot and filled with rage against the cause of both his and Kurt's turmoil. He tugged his shirt back on, his eyes blazing as he confronted both vampires. "I'll tell you what the hell I'm doing here," the mortal shouted defiantly. "To find out why you," Finn addressed Blaine, "hurt my brother! You destroyed him, and you," his eyes flashed back toward Damien, "you used me!"

If he'd had a sharp object in his hand, he would have surely plunged it into the nearest undead body's chest. "I don't know what kind of sick games you vampires like to play. But I'm tired of being jerked around like a fucking yo-yo." Finn rounded on Blaine again, who actually took a step back from the intimidating figure who fairly thrummed with ire. "Kurt loves you, and nothing you can say can convince me you don't feel the same way."

Blaine didn't know whether to the be impressed with Finn's bravado or fearful over the mortal's well-being. He had no idea how Damien might react to the confrontation, even if Finn was well within his rights to be pissed off.

Furious not only that Finn had the audacity to question Blaine but that he had brought up what happened between them - albeit in a somewhat vague manner - Damien stalked in closer and grabbed the mortal roughly by the arm. "If you even think about touching him, I'll tear your throat open. Blaine prefers that I be civil... but I consider that a privilege you need to earn." Only the fact that it would upset Blaine kept him from doing something more drastic, but with an effort, Damien kept his grip from being crushing and his temper from getting the better of him. "You should leave. Now."

"You bastard!" Finn broke free and whirled round to face Damien. His face, flushed with anger, contorted as he unleashed his fury on the vampire. "This is all your fault anyway! You wanted to keep my brother away from Blaine so bad, you don't give a damn about how much it hurt him!" No longer under Damien's mesmeric influence, Finn could express himself without a filter. He didn't care if the threat of death loomed before him. All the secrets he'd kept pent-up inside were erupting, and no force on Earth could stop the cascade of emotions.

Blaine gaped incredulously at Finn. The shock of the mortal's accusation left him reeling, and he launched himself forward to insinuate himself between Damien and Finn before his sire could harm Kurt's stepbrother. "What the hell is he talking about?" Blaine rounded on Damien, his eyes pleading with the other vampire to prove Finn wrong. "You didn't... Damien, you didn't do this..." Realization dawned; Damien loathed mortals, and had been openly disgusted with Kurt. Finn had been glamoured and had no choice but to obey. Of course he'd done it. "Why? I was happy!" The anguish wrenched at his voice. "For the first time, I was truly happy!" He shook his head with bitter sadness. "And you couldn't even let me have that..."

Finn was forgotten in an instant as Damien's attention came to rest solely on his childe. "No... no, I had to protect you. I thought that if something happened to his brother, Kurt might realize himself... might see that there wasn't any way it could work. It was safer for him too. Isn't that why you sent him away?" Damien reached out for Blaine, fingers brushing against the other vampire's cheek tenderly. "They're so fragile. No mater what happened, you were going to lose him, and I knew... I knew it would be easier if it happened sooner instead of later. I promised I'd never order you to do anything, so you had to see on your own. Blaine, I love you. I just... I had to look out for you. You didn't see how hard it could be."

"No, no..." Blaine brushed Damien's hand aside, visibly shaking with pain and fury as fresh crimson tears blurred his vision. "...You didn't do this for me, you did it for yourself. I was a fool! I should've known you had a hand in this. You've always hated the idea of vampires having relationships with mortals. It's all I've ever heard from you! And you despised Kurt the minute you laid eyes on him." Blaine had tried to ignore his sire's feelings, tried to shrug off the unease he'd felt that night at the Last Drop. If he had only known what lengths Damien would go to in order to keep him for himself, then Blaine would have never introduced him to Kurt. "I love Kurt. I truly, deeply love him. But you can't accept that, can you? Is this your idea of caring for me? By hurting me and denying me the one person who could make me happy?"

Damien swallowed hard, tears shining in his own eyes at the anger and pain rolling off of Blaine. He took a step back and gave a slight shake of his head. "He won't make you happy. He'd just leave you or die or find someone else. That's what they do, Blaine." It was hard to find the right words, impossible to convey what he felt when Blaine had already made up his mind. "I didn't send him away. I didn't make him leave. You did. You can be angry at me all you want, but you know I'm telling you the truth. You know there's only one way life with a mortal ends. Do you really want to watch him grow old and die or get carried away and kill him yourself? Is that the life either one of you deserves?"

"You just don't get it, do you?" Blaine grabbed Damien's arms in a rush of explosive fury, slamming his sire against the nearest wall. "I don't care if Kurt's life is fragile, I don't care if our time together is short. It was my decision to make, not yours!" Exasperated, hurt and filled with indescribable anguish, he released his grip and turned away from Damien in disgust. His face a macabre mask of bloody tears, Blaine stalked towards the door without another word.

"Wait..." Finn rediscovered his voice, having been shocked into silence by the confrontation between the two vampires. He'd fully expected Damien to carry out his threat and kill him. The very same Damien Finn had been obsessed with and thought he couldn't live without. Realizing that the vampire had indeed only been using him hit the jock hard. Having never been the brightest person in the world, Finn had done some stupid things but he was nobody's puppet to jerk around. He focused his attention back on Blaine, suppressing his own anger. "Where are you going?"

"To see Kurt," Blaine answered, glancing from the mortal to his sire and then back again. "I suggest you get the hell out of here and don't look back." And with that, he was gone.

Damien watched his child go and felt as if every shred of hope had been sucked from him in that moment. Blaine might well never forgive him. He wheeled on Finn, gaze steely and face deadly calm. "Do you have any idea what you've done? What you've ruined?" Damien was at the mortal's side in a moment, grabbing Finn's wrists and shoving him back up against the wall, his grip too hard for the mortal to even contemplate escape. "He and your brother... if they're lucky, they'll have a few decades... that's all. He and I... it was supposed to be forever..." The words made Damien's throat tighten with pain at the thought of spending the rest of his existence without Blaine. Mike was already gone, already wrapped up in his demon-possessed lover to the point where Damien knew he was nothing but an annoyance. No longer caring what sort of damage he did, Damien's eyes locked with the teenager's. "You're mine now. Everything you are is _mine_," he hissed, fingers tightening on Finn's wrists to the point of pain. "Do you understand?"

Fear thrummed in Finn's quickening heart. All the air had been forced out of his lungs due to the impact of his back against the wall. And Finn gasped in pain as Damien's iron grip threatened to break his wrists in two. Death stared him right in the face, and a rush of icy cold swept over him. If he had to die then at least he'd been able to make things right for Kurt. Blaine knew the truth, and soon Kurt would too. But, instead of ending his life, Damien was demanding he surrender himself totally... and Finn Hudson stared at the vampire as if he had completely lost his mind. Damien's gazed pierced through him, reaching down deep in an attempt to capture his soul. "No," he shook his head, defiantly breaking eye contact. "You're not going to do this to me again..."

Damien was surprised by the strength Finn showed in resisting. He had expected the same sort of wholesale surrender he'd found before, but instead the young man seemed to have found his spine. If it hadn't been so damned annoying, Damien probably would have been intrigued. Instead he growled and dove forward. His fangs tore thoughtlessly into the mortal's neck as he drank deep from the young man's essence. There was more than one way to breech Finn's defenses. The taste exploded into his mouth, and Damien couldn't help but groan as he pressed himself in tighter against the mortal's warm body.

Finn cried out in tormented anguish. The pain was excruciating, the action violent. There was none of the sweet ecstasy he'd craved so desperately, only blinding terror over his will being drained away along with his blood. Already he could feel his resolve and anger evaporating as Damien feasted upon him, and the last of Finn's stubborn determination to fight seemed like a distant memory. Damien's muffled groan sparked something in Finn as the vampire melded against him. His body reacted, surrendering and aching for more. His bottom lip quivered as a whimper of desire wrenched itself unbidden from his throat.

The sound finally slowed Damien. He drew back, unable to resist licking the wound, slow and sensual as he remained locked against Finn's larger form. "You're mine," Damien repeated, though his voice was softer and calmer. The weight of the night and what it might mean weighed heavily on him. Damien couldn't have cared less about supporting his children, about the apartments or anything else. He would do that until the end of time without hesitation. But the idea of losing Blaine's affection, losing the last ties between them made him ache with the thought of it. Wanting to make sure that Finn was as pliant as he should be, Damien demanded, "Come back to my place with me."

If Damien had not been pressed against him, Finn's boneless frame might have surely slumped to the floor. His body ached, and his entire being flooded with a deep yearning to please the vampire before him. There was no hesitation; all of Finn's ire towards Damien had been eradicated with one bite. His eyes flickered as he nodded his head, eagerly agreeing, "Yes, please?" Damien's features swam before him, and the lightheaded rush of being fed upon again left Finn reeling. Blood-_his _blood-stained the other man's mouth, and instead of being repulsed, Finn found the image shockingly erotic. Finn lunged forward with a surprising burst of strength, seeking out Damien's lips and kissing him with a frightening intensity. He belonged to Damien now, and he had no other desire except to give himself to the vampire completely.

Pleased that it had worked, Damien gave in to the kiss at once. He grabbed the mortal by the hair and half-dragged him out of Blaine's apartment and out to the elevator. Inside he threw Finn against the wall again and kissed him hungrily. There was nothing he could do to fix things, but there was no reason to hold back now. He could do whatever he wanted to the mortal without killing him. The door opened and Damien left the dazed mortal standing in the shadows as he stalked toward his own door. The boy would follow. He couldn't do anything else. Damien stalked into his apartment and turned. "I want you on your knees," he ordered as he reached for his fly.

Breathless with desire, Finn obeyed without question. He dropped to his knees and boldly batted away Damien's hand. Then, he was nuzzling the prominent bulge weighing down the front of the vampire's jeans. Finn mewled, gazing up at Damien with reverence and lust. His blind anger nothing more than a vague memory, he closed his eager mouth over the outline of Damien's arousal. Everything Finn had been missing, everything he had been dreaming and aching for was being offered willingly to him. Damien wanted him-truly wanted him-and the jock brimmed over with excitement. "I'm yours, Damien... no one else's," he rasped, fishing the other man's swollen length from the confines of tight denim. "Anything... everything... just keep wanting me." Finn's eyes were pleading, his throat clotted with lust. "Please?"

Damien said nothing, simply jerked the boy forward. "You know what you need to do." He couldn't say anything more. Though he thrilled at the desire in the mortal's eyes, it did nothing to quell the ache in his heart. No matter how good it was, Damien knew that it would do nothing to make him feel better in the end. It wouldn't bring Blaine back or make his childe trust him again. The thought sent a flash of bitter anger through him, and Damien gripped Finn by the hair and jerked him in closer. "Remind me why I didn't tear your throat out."

Finn whimpered at the rough treatment, finding it thrilling rather than terrifying. He was completely immersed in Damien now, and everything about the vampire left him helpless to do anything except obey. He licked his lips before trailing his tongue over Damien's impressive length, swelling before Finn with his own stolen blood. His taste buds exploded with the rich flavor of sex and velvet, and soon Finn had Damien's girth glistening as he closed his football player hands on slender hips. Eyes blown out with lust never wavered from the vampire's gaze. He ached to please Damien, to fulfill his every need. Opening his mouth wide, Finn swallowed him down as if he'd been born to it.

Damien kept his gaze locked with Finn's, surprised by the intensity of the connection there as Finn sucked him down like a pro. It reminded him at once why he'd put up with the mortal more than once already. The man was gorgeous even if he was a fool who couldn't see beyond the end of his own nose. To think Blaine should throw away eternity for something not likely to last beyond a year or two was insanity. Damien forced himself to forget for a moment and drove himself forward into the heat of Finn's mouth. "Nice to see you haven't forgotten your place."

Finn gave a muffled moan of pleasure as Damien thick length stretched his lips to their absolute limit. He found himself drowning in a sea of pure ecstasy. His very essence consumed with the vampire's will. His only purpose in life was to please Damien. And Finn relished the way in which he was being used. He blissfully gagged as Damien plunged deep down his throat. The anger he'd felt towards immortal being thrusting before him had been forgotten. As well as the confusion he'd felt over Blaine. There was only Damien, and only Damien could fill the aching void inside of him.

Damien thrust hard, not caring whether it was comfortable for Finn or not. He was seeking at least a few seconds of bliss. The mortal sucked him as if his life depended on it - which it did in a way. The vampire's hips finally began to stutter and his movements became more erratic. With one final push, he spilled himself down Finn's throat and groaned. It felt amazing, and the blinding heat of that willing mouth almost made him forget for a second how bleak the future looked. Almost as soon as the climax passed so did the placating effect. Damien withdrew himself from Finn's mouth with a sigh. He considered that the mortal was probably aching for more but found himself too exhausted by the night to care overly much. "Get out." As he tucked himself back into his jeans, Damien reconsidered, "But come back tomorrow. I might want you then."

His mouth filled to overflowing with Damien's essence, Finn had thoroughly expected the vampire to tear off his clothes and fuck him senseless. Instead, he was being ordered to leave with no promises of anything further happening between them. It absolutely shattered Finn, who could not hide his immense disappointment. He licked his swollen lips, chasing after Damien's stray seed with his tongue. "Okay," he agreed, rising shakily to his feet. "I'll be back tomorrow night, I promise." Although a part of him feared Damien rejecting him, Finn dove forward and covered the vampire's mouth with his own, kissing him feverishly. The magnetic draw he felt towards Damien was even more powerful than before. He couldn't help himself, he was lost. And Finn was determined not to be denied.


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note: **Major trigger warnings. This chapter deals with depression and a suicide attempt. Oh, and attempted murder. Yeah, it's an upper alright. This is all plot, no smut.

**Chapter 23**

After he shut himself up in his room, Kurt sat quietly on the bed for the better part of an hour before finally stirring. He found paper and a pen and began meticulously writing letters, his penmanship perfect and nary a mistake. He didn't have to restart or amend anything, thoughts pouring seamlessly out onto the pages. It was the right thing. The only thing. He couldn't do anything else. When the letters were done, Kurt tucked them into the back of his jeans. He covered the extra bulk with a baggier-than-usual shirt. There was only one more thing, and Kurt was thankful to find neither Burt nor Carol in their bedroom. He emptied two bottles of pills into his pockets before carefully replacing them in the cabinet. By the time anyone realized they were missing, it wouldn't matter anymore.

Downstairs, Kurt found both his father and stepmother in the kitchen. "I'm going to go for a walk."

Immediately Burt's brow furrowed. "I'm not sure you should be goin' out right now, Kurt."

"I'm not going to leave the neighborhood, I promise," Kurt assured with an easy smile. "Do you really think I'd go anywhere important looking like this?"

The words resonated, and Burt took in the baggy shirt and somewhat worn jeans. It did indeed look more like Kurt's uniform for days spent in front of the TV with junk food than anything he'd wear for a secret meeting with his vampire boyfriend. "Okay. Just don't be out long, huh? Gettin' late."

"Of course." Kurt leaned in and pressed a kiss to his father's forehead. "I love you."

"Love you too, kiddo." It killed him to see Kurt so morose, but he finally seemed to be doing a little better. Voluntarily leaving the house for something other than meeting Blaine was certainly progress.

Kurt grabbed a bottle of water on the way out and then exited into the night. The slight chill made him wish for a moment that he'd bothered to get a jacket only to remind himself that it wouldn't matter soon. He moved out to the edge of their property, to the small woody area that bordered the back of their property. Once he settled himself in on the grass, Kurt laid the letters carefully around him - one for each member of his family, one for each member of the glee club, and one for Blaine. The vampire might never see the words, but he had needed to exorcise the thoughts regardless. Satisfied that everything was settled, Kurt slowly began taking the pills two at a time. In what seemed like no time at all, Kurt felt the fuzzy beginnings of oblivion tearing at the edges of his mind and welcomed it with open arms.

Blaine would never be able to forgive Damien. He had been a complete fool not to realize earlier that his sire had had a hand in keeping him and Kurt apart. He could only imagine how Damien had used Finn to drive a wedge between them. Under a vampire's influence, Finn would have been helpless to do anything except obey. Indeed, the mortal would have been compelled to do anything to please Damien. And, as far as Blaine was concerned, that made Finn every much a victim as he and Kurt had been of Damien's. He paused, nearly turning on his heel and returning to the apartment. Blaine knew he shouldn't have left Finn alone there. But, if Kurt's stepbrother had any sense at all, he would have taken his advice and left before...

/Kurt.../ Blaine froze in his tracks. He could feel Death's hand reaching out, closing around his spine in an icy grip that set off alarm bells in his head. Having tasted Kurt's blood, the vampire instinctively knew when the mortal was in danger. And something terribly, terribly wrong had happened. Moving in a blur of supernatural speed, Blaine arrived at the Hummel house and followed Kurt's scent. His lover's heartbeat was slowing, and panic tore at Blaine as he found Kurt lying on the ground surrounded by letters. "Kurt! Kurt, oh God... no, Kurt..." Falling to his knees, he gently cradled Kurt's head in his lap. "Please open your eyes... please, Kurt... don't leave me... not now..."

Kurt's eyes fluttered open, a task that proved monumentally difficult. Seeing Blaine's pale features hovering over him, Kurt couldn't help but smile faintly. "Blaine," he whispered. The words were sluggish and thick, and Kurt couldn't even think of anything else to add. Instead he simply stared as long as he could between slow blinks that became more and more impossible to recover from. It was the right thing. He was doing the right thing. Even if it was hard to leave everyone, it had to be the right thing if he got to see Blaine. It didn't matter if it wasn't real. It was worth it. Finally it became too much, too hard to stay awake, and Kurt let his eyes close again as he drifted off to sleep.

"No, Kurt... no, no, no..." Blaine desperately will for Kurt to hold on, to not give in and stay with him. But it was a losing battle, and the vampire startled as he detected the mortal's heart beat slowing to a halt. "Kurt, please... I love you... don't leave me... please..." He would have never imagined his attempt to protect Kurt would have led to this. Knowing that Kurt loved him enough to not want to live without him tore Blaine to pieces. "I'm not letting you go, dammit!" He fumbled for his cell phone, hurriedly dialing 911 and frantically telling the operator about Kurt's dire situation. After giving her the Hummel address, Blaine focused his attention back on Kurt. "Fight for me, Kurt. Stay with me, please? I'm going to make this all up to you-I promise. Kurt, please?" When there was no response, Blaine only had one option open to him: he could turn Kurt to save him. /No, not that way.../ But he couldn't bear to condemn someone as precious as Kurt to a life of eternal darkness. Pressing a kiss to his lover's frighteningly cool lips, Blaine raced from Kurt's side to the front of the house where he banged loudly on the door for attention.

Burt opened the door, wondering if Kurt had forgotten his keys, only to find himself face to face with a pale young man that he recognized from the pictures he'd seen Kurt looking at not so long before. "What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded. A secondary thought struck him, and Burt felt his blood run cold. "Where's Kurt? I swear to god, if you hurt my son, a stake through the heart's gonna be the least of your worries." The sound of an ambulance tearing down the street did nothing to soothe Burt's sudden fear, and he found himself stepping outside to try to see where the vehicle was headed.

The weight of the letter he'd found addressed to him only made Blaine's unbeating heart ache that much more. He'd managed to swiftly conceal it before racing to get Kurt's parents' attention. Now, faced with Kurt's father, the threat of the True Death was the least of the vampire's worries. His one and only concern was for Kurt, and Blaine wasted no time in wordlessly leading Burt to the secluded spot where he'd found the older man's son. The paramedics arrived on the scene, swarming around Kurt who laid before them deathly pale, breathing shallowly, and surrounded by the letters he'd written like forgotten snow on the ground.

"He tried to kill himself," Blaine whispered, his expression one of complete devastation. If Kurt died... /Stop thinking that!/ ...he would only have himself to blame. His lies and his attempts at protecting Kurt from the darkness of a life with him had led to this. And Blaine would welcome Burt's threat of a stake if Kurt was truly lost to him forever.

One of the medical attendants had already inserted an I.V. into Kurt's arm while the others bundled him onto a gurney. Then, adding to Blaine's anguish, Kurt disappeared out of sight into the back of the ambulance. Burt joined the EMTs, throwing the vampire a warning glare before the doors shut and the vehicle hurried away, leaving only the fading lights and blaring sirens echoing behind.

Blaine, however, had no intention of not following. Vanishing into the night, he arrived at the hospital long before the ambulance, and waited with overwhelming concern for Kurt to arrive. He mentally cursed himself for not carrying his lover to the building himself. It would have been far quicker, and Kurt might already be out of danger. As he stood there under the harsh white lights of the hospital hallway, Blaine's vampiric senses told him that Kurt had very little time left. And the crushing dread that filled him almost galvanized him into finding the ambulance, wrenching its doors open and retrieve Kurt. But then, the vehicle arrived and he caught a fleeting image of Kurt before he was quickly moved into the emergency room. Blaine kept out of sight, although not being at mortal's side wrenched him to pieces. Would God listen to a vampire's prayers? Blaine hoped so, because-at that moment-praying seemed to be Kurt's only hope.

That alone galvanized Finn into action. He couldn't let anyone-not even Kurt-realize that Damien wanted to see him again. With one last glance at the vampire, Finn departed and returned home. His journey was difficult, thanks to the blood loss and the constant urge to return to Damien. But, somehow, he made it, and the hastily scribbled note he found sobered him immensely. Kurt. In the hospital.

Finn did not think anything could have broken through Damien's spell. Reading those words, however, struck a chord in him and his brotherly concern had him scrambling for his car keys. As an afterthought he applied a bandage to his fresh throat wound. Then, heedless of the speed limit, Finn was racing to the hospital. He found his mother and Burt in the emergency room, and was stunned to learn what had happened to his stepbrother. The bullying, Blaine's rejection... it all became too much for even Kurt to endure. Finn's stomach lurched. /I should've been there for him. It's my fault. Mine.../

There was small consolation when a doctor reported that Kurt would pull through. Finn had never felt so guilty. And he immediately volunteered to stay and look after him. Burt insisted instead that Finn take Carol home while he remained with his son. Reluctantly agreeing on the proviso that he relieve Burt as soon as possible, Finn left with his mother. Tormented over Kurt's condition, he kept his thoughts to himself even as he wanted to scream and rail at the world.

Unbeknown to Finn Blaine watched from the shadows. Only the sun could tear him away from Kurt, but he too vowed to return. Nothing would keep him from seeing Kurt again, and doing everything in his power to repair the damage he had caused.

Kurt woke with his stomach rolling and his throat aching. As he slowly forced his eyes open, Kurt groaned at the harsh throbbing of his head. There was so much pain... he had expected oblivion, not pain. Maybe going to church more often with Mercedes would have been a good idea. Finally Kurt managed to get his eyes fully open, and he looked around the room. Gone were the images of Blaine, pale and glowing and ethereal from the night before. Instead there was harsh neon lighting and his father collapsed and snoring softly in a nearby plastic chair. The blinds nearby were drawn tightly, but Kurt could see light peeking through them as well.

Alive. He was alive. He was awake and hurting. And alive. The thought made Kurt's heart ache along with the rest of him. He'd failed utterly and completely, and now everyone would know. He'd be lucky to get committed. Worse would be going back to everything, to school to being tortured and to spending every day missing Blaine like a phantom limb.

Sensing Kurt's alert fulness, Burt stirred in the chair that had become his makeshift bed. He jolted awake and leaned forward, reaching for Kurt's hand and squeezing it in his own. "Kurt?" he ventured softly. Burt's throat thickened with emotion, and he swallowed hard. "Son, I'm here. You're alright, everything's going to be okay."

In the hallway, Finn's phone rang, and as soon as he answered, a familiar voice purred, "Hey, baby, I've got a favor to ask you." Damien was tired of playing nice. It had gotten him nowhere, and if he'd just been ruthless the way his own sire had always encouraged him to be, Kurt could have been out of the way that first night. Everything could have been so much_easier_. "I need you to get rid of the boy. I want you to kill Kurt. Wait until you're alone with him, and do it. I don't care how." If Finn was caught or did something hard to cover up, it didn't really matter. The mortal's hands would be the ones committing the crime, and there would be no proof that Damien had anything at all do with it. "I want it done, and I want it done tonight. When it's finished, you can come see me." That was a risky proposition, but Damien knew that even the hold he held over Finn might not be enough without the promise of a reward. "Take care of it, and you can have whatever you want." With that, Damien ended the call and left Finn to do what needed to be done.

Finn stared at the phone, trembling on the spot. His mouth opened and closed, unable to form words. His throat wound pulsed, while Damien's orders clouded his mind and blotted out the voice screaming at him not to obey. Damien wanted him to kill Kurt, then he could have anything he wanted from the vampire. It seemed like such an easy thing to do. Especially when Damien's tone caressed away all his worries over such a deplorable act. Finn moved as if in a trance toward his stepbrother's room, pocketing his cell along the way. There were no second thoughts, no question of not carrying through Damien's wishes. All he wanted, all he lived for now was to please the vampire.

He stopped short when he found Burt talking things over with Kurt. Interrupting, Finn rested a hand on his stepfather's shoulder. "Mom thinks it's time you went home and got some rest," he said, sounding perfectly normal. His eyes ticked towards Kurt, all innocence. "You've got me for the night."

It warmed his heart that Finn was trying so hard to act as if it was somehow normal to be left watching over his stepbrother in the hospital. "You don't have to stay." Before Burt could protest, Kurt reminded him more quietly, "I'm on psych watch. They won't really leave me alone anyway." His stepfather insisted, and in the end Kurt didn't really mind. Of everyone, Finn would understand the most. He probably wasn't any happier or any less disappointed, but at least he would understand in a different way. When Burt finally left after getting an additional text from Carol, Kurt smiled up at Finn. "Thank you for staying."

"It's no problem," Finn assured him. "I'm just sorry I wasn't there for you last night." He didn't press Kurt over his actions, he simply acted as if it were just another day. Damien's voice continued to echo in his mind. Soothing with promises even as it demanded to be obeyed. "I'm sorry about a lot of things, Kurt." Finn glanced away, not out of guilt over what he planned to do, but to check that no one would be interrupting them. The door was closed, and his best course would be to wait until his stepbrother was asleep. Then, he could quietly follow through with the vampire's wishes. "You never should've had to go through all this," he continued quietly. It would be helping Kurt, right? Putting him out of his misery, while pleasing Damien at the same time. "Everything's gonna be okay now. I promise."

Kurt smiled in return and reached out to give Finn's hand a squeeze. "I hope so." Between the medication he'd taken himself and the antidepressants they had put into his system since, Kurt felt utterly exhausted. Soon his grip on Finn's fingers loosened and fell away and Kurt's eyelids fluttered in an attempt to stay open at all. "Sleepy," he murmured by way of explanation before his breathing slowed. Sleep proved far too intoxicating a possibility to deny, and soon Kurt was unconscious once again. He looked peaceful despite still being pale. Only the dark circles under his eyes and the IV in his arm really told the story of just how much he'd been through in so short a space of time.

Finn moved jerkily like a doll being controlled by a puppeteer. Damien wanted Kurt dead, and Finn's only purpose in life was to please the vampire. It didn't matter what he planned to do was horribly, irrevocably wrong. Nor did he care that he loved Kurt as if he was his real brother. All that mattered was fulfilling Damien's desire. Finn gazed at Kurt for a long moment, taking great care in checking that he was asleep. Then, he straightened and quietly looked around the room until he found exactly what he needed. An extra pillow in the slender closet. He gripped it in his hands, trembling as he moved back toward the bed and closer to Kurt's slumbering form. In a few minutes it would all be over. Both Kurt's suffering and his life.

/Kill him! Kill him!/ Damien voice echoed in his mind, urgently driving Finn forward. Without hesitation, he started to lower the pillow over Kurt's blissfully unaware face...

...only to have to violently wrenched from his grasp!

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Blaine growled, baring his fangs as he slammed Finn against the wall. Anger flared and the vampire nearly lost control, using every last ounce of his willpower not to shred Kurt's stepbrother into pieces.

Finn struggled to break free of Blaine iron grip to no avail. "I have to do it! I have to!" he pleaded, thrashing desperately against those immovable arms.

Sadness replaced rage as Blaine quickly realized what had happened. /Damn you, Damien.../ Finn's eyes were glazed over, and the signs of his sire's glamour were clear. "Listen to me, Finn-listen..." Blaine stared hard at the mortal, but it was no use. Finn was too far gone, and Damien's control was too powerful to break. There was only one way to free him... He wrenched the bandage away from Finn's neck, revealing the fresh bite marks he knew he would find there. And then, Blaine lunged forward, tearing into the wound and filling his mouth with Finn's blood.

Finn inhaled sharply, his eyes widening as first pain, then ecstasy swept over him. He could physically feel Damien's influence melting away, the cloud obscuring his thoughts clearing. His lips parted, and a ragged whimper erupted from his throat as Blaine continued to feed. He mewled softly when the vampire eventually withdrew, leaving him aching for more. Dazed eyes settled on Blaine, who was staring at him with an intensity that was almost frightening.

"Finn, you're going to forget about tonight," Blaine told him, his tone low and hypnotic. "You're going to forget everything Damien told you to do. Do you understand?"

Nodding slowly, Finn whispered, "Yes, I understand."

"Good." Blaine's shoulders visibly sagged with relief. "Now, I want you to get yourself cleaned up, okay? Then, go over to that chair..." He nodded to the recliner on the other side of the room. "...and get yourself some sleep." Releasing the mortal, Blaine watched as Finn obeyed without question. The jock disappeared inside the bathroom, emerging with the blood stains washed clean. Finn's eyes flicked heavily as he sank into the recliner, and then, in less than a minute, he was fast asleep.

Tossing the pillow aside, Blaine felt the gravity of what had just occurred weighing down on him. Outside he'd watched as Kurt's father departed for home. And, if he hadn't risked sneaking into the hospital, then Kurt would most certainly be dead at the hands of his own stepbrother. Blaine didn't blame Finn for his actions. After all, under Damien's influence it was completely out of his control. No, he blamed himself for leaving the jock alone with his sire. He should have known something like this would happen, even if he never dreamed Damien could go this far to keep Kurt out of his life.

/Kurt.../ Blaine folded himself into the empty chair beside his lover's bed, his unbeating heart breaking at the sight of him sleeping so peacefully. He reached out, slipped Kurt's hand into his own, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Kurt?" he called out softly. "Kurt, I'm here. I'm never leaving you again."

At first Kurt was sure that the voice was part of his dreams, some pleasant creation of his unconscious mind. He stirred and slowly opened his eyes again to find Blaine staring back at him. His eyes widened at once, and he struggled to sit up, the movement somewhat awkward given how bone tired he still was after everything. "Blaine?" Looking down, he saw the vampire's fingers curled around his own and looked utterly and completely confused. "What are you..." He shook his head and tried to make sense of it. His heart pounded helplessly in his chest, the hope almost as painful as the loss had been. A glance at the other side of the room showed that Finn was crashed in the more comfortable of the room's two chairs, and Kurt looked back up at Blaine. "Why are you here?" Surely Blaine should have been with his sire, should have been happy somewhere with someone like him instead of in the hospital. "How did you even... even hear..." The words trailed away as Kurt looked down, ashamed suddenly of how pathetic he must seem, how young and stupid.

Blaine could hear Kurt's pulse quickening, the uncertainty rolling off him in waves. He started, "They didn't tell you?" /Of course they didn't. His father hates me./ He shuddered, leaning forward and gripping Kurt's warm hand a little tighter. "I have no right to ask this of you, but can you ever forgive me?" Crimson tears pooled and threatened to fall from his eyes, as Blaine choked on a deep-throated sob of emotion. So much had happened that he didn't even know where to begin. "Ever since Damien turned me, he's tried to convince me that relationships between vampires and mortals never work out. I believed him, until... I met you." Blood streamed down, staining his face as he mournfully went on. "I loved you that first night, and the thought of being without you made me want to walk out into the sun." He shook his head, knowing all too well the desolation Kurt had felt to attempt to take his own life.

"There's no excuse for me bringing Jeremiah home." The memory still haunted him. "But, if it hadn't been for him, I might have ended everything then and there." Blaine didn't know if he could ever make Kurt understand as the words continued to pour out of him. "Then, he was killed and I truly thought I was responsible. Even though I wasn't, I was terrified of hurting you. And there was Damien making me believe it would happen." /Damn him.../ "That's why..." He swallowed, his vision blurring as more scarlet tears rained down. "...I lied to you. Kurt, I don't love Damien-I never did. I only wanted to keep you safe. That's all. I never meant to hurt you."

"You really were there... last night... you found me. You knew," Kurt realized. Blaine had taken his own letter, and Kurt felt a pang of sorrow at the realization that his father had kept the knowledge from him. "Did you... read it?" It had been desperately important that he try to explain to Blaine that more than just their separation had made him do what he did. He'd even confessed what Karofsky did, how torn up he'd been over the memory of their last kiss being marred by something so horrible. Before Blaine could even answer, something even more important struck him, and Kurt scooted over, away from Blaine. A moment later, he patted the uncomfortably small sliver of bed. "Lay with me?"

It was more than Blaine could have hoped for, more than he deserved. He nodded silently, shifting carefully onto the bed and wrapping an arm around Kurt's waist as he laid beside him. His body ached as it reacquainted itself with the welcoming heat of Kurt's. Blaine had thought he would never be close to the beautiful mortal again, and a low whine rumbled from his throat. "No, I didn't read it," he confessed, close to breaking down all over again. "I couldn't bring myself to, not until I knew if you were going to be okay or..." Trailing off, the vampire swallowed down the rest of his words. Instead he focused on Kurt, reaching out and caressing his lovely cheek with his fingers. "Last night, I came to see you... to explain about everything that happened, and that's when I found you." Emotion welled over, and an intensity came over Blaine as he began to visibly tremble. "Seeing you like that... nothing's ever scared me so much. Kurt..." He shook his head, fighting back a cascade of fresh tears. "...I never meant to hurt you... never..."

Kurt shifted and rolled onto his side, pressing in against Blaine and rested his head on the vampire's chest. He had to move carefully thanks to the IV, but it was well worth the effort. Being so close to Blaine felt like going home, and he could hardly believe that he might have died without ever realizing that Blaine still loved him. "Please don't think that it was just... it wasn't just what happened with us. I was so tired of... of everything. Of trying to be what everyone needed me to be, of being scared to go to school. Th-the other day... one of the guys who's been giving me hell all year... he kissed me." The memory alone made Kurt shiver. "When I thought about going back there, about seeing him again... I couldn't." The tears had begun to flow at some point, and Kurt barely even noticed as he soaked Blaine's shirt and held the vampire tighter. "I know it's silly, but I felt like he took... took my last kiss with you away, and..."

Blaine's expression twisted into one of raw, unadulterated hatred. He could abide almost anything, but someone who had been systematically tormenting Kurt trying to force himself upon him was where the vampire drew the line. Somehow Blaine managed to calm himself for Kurt's sake. He found an inner peace from his lover's presence alone. But he would never be able to let this go. Kurt's safety meant more to him than his own existence, and he would gladly risk anything to protect him. Blaine openly embraced Kurt, pressing him closer and whispering tender words of encouragement as the emotional dam broke. "I don't care what I have to do, how hard I have to beg," he promised, softly kissing the top of Kurt's head, "but I'm going to do everything in my power to convince your family that we should be together."

"I'm not letting you go again," Kurt answered, voice small and strained. It was getting difficult to keep talking, but there were still important things to say. "Don't care what anyone says. Not letting you go. I love you, Blaine." He didn't care what Finn saw or thought when he woke up. He didn't care what his father said, not anymore. They'd lost precious time already, and Kurt wasn't willing to give up another second. "Can you stay? Tonight, can you stay here?" Kurt didn't want to let go a single second sooner than he had to. Never again if he could help it, though he knew that the sun would mean parting for at least the daylight hours.

"I'm not going anywhere," Blaine promised, soothing Kurt's fears with gentle caresses along the length of his back. "You slept through most of last night, but I kept watch over you outside." More tender kisses followed, then the vampire's ticked his gaze over Finn's slumbering form across the room. He sobered, drawing back and tilting Kurt's chin to meet his eyes. "There's something I have to tell you, and it's not going to be easy to hear," he started after a moment's hesitation. "It's about your brother." The last thing Blaine wanted to do was upset Kurt, but everything needed to be out in the open. Especially after the terrible event that had almost happened. "Finn hasn't been himself lately, has he? It's because he's been with Damien." He allowed the gravity of the revelation to sink in before carefully treading forward again. "When your brother shared his blood with me, it loosened Damien's hold and Finn came to see me." Blaine decided it was probably for the best withholding how the jock had thrown himself at him. "He told me everything. How Damien had used him to try and keep us apart."

"I knew he gave me the creeps!" The words were out of his mouth before Kurt thought how ridiculous and honestly silly the response was given the gravity of the situation, not to mention who Damien was to Blaine. "Sorry..." Kurt reached for the water on his nightstand and took a few sips before he spoke again. "He... will he be okay?" Looking at Finn sleeping peacefully in the chair, it was hard to think about how shaken he'd been over the past week. It made Kurt feel all the more horrible for putting his stepbrother through even more. Suddenly a great many things made more sense. Damien knew that his parents - whatever their views - weren't likely to appreciate Finn being attacked. It would drive an immediate wedge between him and Blaine. It had worked even better than he probably intended. "Is there something we can do to... to keep Damien away from him? I know he's your sire... I... I know he's part of your life..." It was hard even thinking of trying to be considerate of someone who had trie to take away one of the most important people in his life and nearly killed another. "But if I hadn't found Finn that first night... he could have died..."

"He's not the only one who might have died," Blaine declared gravely. His eyes were dark and haunted as he lifted them to Kurt's. "I'll keep watch over your brother. You won't have to worry about him." He rested a hand on Kurt's shoulder, offering him support. It became difficult to summon the words, especially when he knew how it would affect his mortal lover. But they needed to be said. "Kurt, I want nothing more to do with Damien. Not after tonight. Not after what he did." Another visible shudder coursed over the vampire. "When I left my apartment last night, Finn was still there... with Damien. I was a fool to leave them alone together! But I had to see you... and then I sensed you were in danger." His sad gazed ticked over to Kurt's sleeping stepbrother again. "Damien bit him, used him. Kurt..." Deep anguish etched itself across Blaine's face, shadowing his features as he finished, "...if I hadn't been here to stop him, Finn would have killed you."

Kurt opened his mouth at once to protest that it simply wasn't possible, but then he thought of how Finn had been affected before. He thought of the dark scratches still healing on his stepbrother's forearms and the dreams he'd had about Blaine from one encounter. Swallowing hard, Kurt slowly nodded. "So Damien asked him... to... god..." He'd gotten the vibe pretty quickly that Blaine's sire didn't like him, but he hadn't really imagined that the man would want him dead or that he'd be so cruel as to use Finn to do his dirty work. "But, then... why's he sleeping? Shouldn't he be more..." Kurt looked over at his brother's form slumbering so peacefully in the chair. "Upset?"

"That's because I bit him," Blaine answered softly. "If I hadn't, then your brother would still be under Damien's control." Having never seen anyone as far-gone as Finn before, there simply was no other way to save him. "He'll be okay now, I promise." Blaine's fingers stretched out, tenderly caressing Kurt's arm in an intimate, reassuring gesture. "If he's in any danger, I'll know. But he shouldn't want to see Damien anymore. Not after tonight." Swallowing, the vampire's anger over his sire's actions threatened to well up inside of him all over again. "And neither do I. Damien and me... we're finished. I could forgive him almost anything. But hurting you... no, he cannot be a part of my life anymore."

"Since Finn didn't... didn't... didn't do it," the words were too harsh to speak aloud again, and Kurt could feel his voice faltering at the attempt to vocalize the thoughts, "do you think that he'll come back? Would he.. would he come after me or... or after Finn?" It was a lot easier to think about the practical implications than the more complicated ones. Finn wouldn't want Damien anymore because he'd be dreaming of Blaine again. It still made Kurt feel nervous, though it eased his mind to know that Blaine loved him, wanted him. Just feeling the vampire's body against his own calmed some of the tidal wave of emotion that had been swelling inside. "You can't be with us all the time."

Blaine pondered that worrying thought. It was true, he wouldn't always be around hovering like a guardian angel. But he could make damn sure he did everything in his power in order to keep Kurt and his family safe. "As long as no one invites Damien into your home, and someone is with you and Finn when you go out at night, everything should be fine," the vampire decided, hoping his words allayed Kurt's fears. "I'm going to take care of you, Kurt. I promise." Blaine cupped one warm cheek, gazing deeply into those startling blue-green eyes. He leaned in closer, brushing their lips together for what seemed like the first time in ages. The kiss, tender and achingly sweet, lasted for minutes. And, when Blaine finally drew back, there were fresh tears pooling even as he smiled. "Close your eyes, get some sleep," he gently urged. "I'll be right here."

"Don't wanna sleep," Kurt murmured even as he snuggled into Blaine's embrace. "Don't wanna miss this." He struggled valiantly to keep his eyes open, but talking hurt, and without the stimulation of conversing to keep him conscious, Kurt soon found himself drifting off again. Once or twice he managed to open his eyes just to make sure that Blaine was still there. Each time he smiled at the comforting knowledge that it wasn't a dream. Blaine was with him, loved him. Finally Kurt gave in entirely to sleep and fell into a peaceful doze with his whole body wrapped around the vampire's.

Blaine held and watched over Kurt throughout the night. Having the chance to love and be loved by the beautiful mortal again was a precious gift the vampire intended to never squander. Time ticked by far too fast, and Blaine could already feel the tingling pull of the rising sun. Leaving Kurt's side was painful, but he had no other choice in the matter. Blaine pressed a soft kiss to his lover's cheek, whispering a promise to return as soon as dusk fell. Making his way home in a blur of speed, his thoughts returned to Damien. Blaine's rage against his sire's actions surfaced again, and it took every ounce of his self control not to find a sharpened piece of wood, go to the other vampire's apartment and drive it through his chest. He would never be able to forgive Damien-never.

When Burt arrived bright and early at the hospital, he found both of his boys asleep. He felt a pang of guilt over Finn having stayed all night with Kurt, but took solace in the fact that it was the weekend and his stepson didn't have to worry about school. Checking on Kurt, whom he was pleased to find had a lot more color than when he'd last seen him, Burt then padded across to Finn. "Hey, you ready to go home?" he asked, giving the jock a gentle nudge.

Finn woke, yawning widely as he blinked up at the older man. He felt incredibly refreshed and full of energy, which seemed a little odd considering he'd spent the night in a recliner. "Mmm... yeah, is Kurt okay?" His eyes focused on his stepbrother, who slept soundly across the room. Before Burt could answer, Finn jolted. Memories flooded into his waking mind. First Damien, then Blaine biting him... feasting on his blood. He paled, and Burt immediately noticed the change in him.

"What's wrong? Did something happened?" he asked, his brow furrowing with concern beneath the brim of his cap.

"Yeah... everything's fine..." Being a terrible liar didn't help Finn, and he quickly added, "I just remembered some stuff I've gotta do." Without waiting for Burt's reaction, he hurried out of the hospital room, down the hallway, into an elevator, and out into the parking lot. Finn didn't stop for a breath until he was in his car. Leaning his forehead against the steering wheel, he tried to make sense of the troubling images flitting through his mind. None of it made any sense, and worse still, most of last night was a complete blank. Absently he reached up and felt the fresh bite marks concealed by his collar. /Damien.../ If he went to him tonight, then he was sure the vampire could explain everything.

The day dragged on, and Finn found himself even more confused than before. He couldn't work out exactly what had happened to him. All he remembered was being with Damien one minute, then Blaine biting him the next. None of it made any sense, and Finn grew frustrated over the missing time in between those events. As evening drew close, he told his mother he wanted to get an early start and spend time with Kurt. So, he left the house early and made a beeline for Damien's apartment. Finn parked his car, climbed the steps outside of the building, and found the vampire's door ajar. "Damien?" he called, taking a tentative step inside.

"He's gone," Blaine replied, turning at the sound of Finn's voice.

"What do you mean, 'he's gone'?" Finn asked dumbly. The apartment had been stripped bare, with no sign that anyone had been inhabiting the rooms.

Blaine, who had come to confront Damien, understood Finn's confusion. "Apparently he packed up everything and left."

"But... he can't just leave," Finn started to protest. He sighed, and leaned heavily against the wall. Torn, Finn didn't know how to feel anymore. He still felt that strange draw towards Damien, and yet it wasn't nearly as strong. Somehow he knew that Blaine feeding from him had something to do with that.

"It's alright, Finn." Blaine moved closer, placing a calming hand on the jock's arm. He could literally feel the tension coiled in Finn's body. "Damien's leaving was the right thing to do. It's for the best-trust me."

"Is it?" Finn wasn't so sure. He flicked his gaze to meet the vampire's warm, comforting eyes. "Why did you bite me?" he asked bluntly.

Blaine started at the question, but managed to expertly skate around the true reason, "Because Damien had glamoured you too deeply. You weren't yourself, Finn. And it's more important for you to be there for your brother than to be used by someone."

Finn opened his mouth to speak, only to close it again. He didn't like being jerked around, and he'd called Damien out on it once before. "So, does that mean I'm going to start following you around like a puppy?" he wondered aloud, sounding slightly pathetic.

"No." Blaine shook his head. "You'll probably have some... vivid dreams, but that's all." He offered the mortal what he hoped was an encouraging smile. "You're still Finn; I didn't glamour you." Leading him towards the door, Blaine paused and added, "I'm going to see Kurt tonight. Do you want to come with me?"

Finn thought it over for a moment, still trying to let the ramifications sink in. "Yeah," he finally answered, "I'd better. I mean, Burt's gonna be there and... the last thing Kurt needs is a big scene... right?"

On that Blaine agreed. He was more than prepared to meet Kurt's father again. They had a lot to talk about, and he determined to convince Burt Hummel that he and Kurt belonged together.

The sound of voices roused Kurt, and he opened his eyes. The bright sun streaming through the windows made him blink and sigh. Blaine would be back at his place sleeping, and Kurt felt a pang of regret that he would be stuck in the hospital for at least another day or two. Above and beyond the physical effects, they wanted him on psych watch to be sure he didn't do anything even more foolish. Kurt swallowed and shifted to stretch some of the stiffness from his muscles. He spotted his father standing by the bed and offered a smile that faded slightly a moment later. "You should have told me," he offered in the same quiet, scratchy voice that he was getting all too used to. "It wasn't you or Carol or Finn. Blaine found me. He called the ambulance." Kurt let that sink in for a moment before adding, "He was here last night, and he'll be back tonight. I know what happened to Finn's father scares me. What happened to Finn scares me... but that doesn't make it Blaine's fault. He's doing everything he can to protect us."

Burt sank down in the chair beside Kurt's bed, feeling the weight of the last couple of days bearing down on him. It seemed he was fighting a losing battle trying to keep Kurt safe from vampires. Of all the people his son had to fall for, why did have to be one the undead? "Kurt," he started gently, "if he wasn't in the equation to start with, you wouldn't need protecting." His shoulders sagged in the universal sign of defeat. In his heart Burt realized why his son had tried to take his own life. Kurt was in love, and being without Blaine had nearly killed him. What could he do? If he kept on refusing to allow his son to see this... vampire, then things were bound to worsen. And if Kurt did pursue a relationship, Burt would be constantly worried about whether or not he'd end up drained of blood. "Last night was a nightmare," Burt went on. "I never want to live through anything like that again." He sighed, leaning forward and reaching for Kurt's hand. "I'm sorry I hurt you, hurt you so much you wanted to end it all."

"No! No, dad... it..." Kurt grasped his father's hand hard in his own and squeezed it as tears blurred his eyes. "It wasn't just you. It wasn't... it wasn't just what happened with Blaine. It's everything at school, it was feeling like I had to hide... and... and being so _tired _of trying to be strong and brave all the time. I should have asked for help. I... what I did was stupid, but now at least I'll be getting it." He offered his father a slightly wavering smile. "A doctor came in yesterday, talked to me about therapy. I don't know if I want to go on any medication after I leave here, but I... think talking to someone would be a good idea." As the light in the room dimmed, Kurt found himself looking to the window with a feeling of mixed apprehension and relief. "Will you stay? To meet Blaine? I know you don't like what he was, but a year ago he was just... just a boy. He was bullied, and he was in glee club, and... and if you can try to think about him as just _Blaine_, I think you'll really like him."

Burt found it incredibly difficult to refuse Kurt anything. Especially after the hell his son had been through. The anguish in Kurt's eyes and voice were heart-wrenching, and Burt realized there was no other option except to allow this relationship to go ahead. "Okay, okay... I'll stay and meet him," he relented, fixing Kurt with a slightly stern expression. "But this is on a trial basis, you got me, kiddo? If I find even a scratch on your neck, then this whole thing's off. You got me?" Burt trusted his son, but he didn't know if he could ever afford the same courtesy towards a vampire. Perhaps it would be best to think of Blaine as a victim, to humanize instead of vilifying him? "Kurt, I'm not doing any of this to hurt you. I want you to know that." Burt sighed, adding, "If this guy means that much to you, then I'm willing to give it a shot."

The thought of doing things properly and not spending his nights sated and wrecked in Blaine's arms was disappointing, but if it meant that his father might be able to accept them together, Kurt knew he could put his libido on hold. It would be hard, but it would be worth it. "I will too. I won't lie to you about where I'm going. We... we'll do this the right way this time. Really dating." Going back and starting again could be fun. Maybe and Blaine needed that time given how often they'd misunderstood one another or done precisely the wrong thing in the name of protecting each other. In the end pleasing Burt might mean making what they shared even stronger. "Thank you for doing this. Thank you for giving him a chance. I know that isn't easy."

"I must be out of my damned mind," Burt decided with a shake of his head. Allowing Kurt to date a vampire qualified as the worst idea ever. If he could only be honest with his son, present his case for why being in love with one of the undead terrified him, then maybe Kurt would understand. But Burt had made a promise, and he couldn't break it even now. Kurt was in love, and all the older man had to hold onto was the hope that his son's trust in the vampire wasn't misplaced. "All I want for you is to be happy," Burt continued, softer now. "And if this Blaine is the... man for the job, then I won't argue about it anymore."

As if on cue, the door opened and Blaine strode into the room, closely followed by Finn. "Good evening," he greeted, ready for the fight of his life as he faced Kurt's father. Then, the totally unexpected happened. Burt Hummel stood up, turned and extended his hand.

"I didn't get a chance to say this last night, but thank you," he started, gripping Blaine's hand and trying to ignore the coldness of his skin. "Thank you for saving Kurt's life."

Kurt had to blink to clear the tears in his eyes. For the first time in a long while, they were tears of pure happiness. He knew that his father being cordial to Blaine didn't mean the man accepted him, but it did mean that Burt was trying. For the first time since he'd started seeing the vampire, Kurt felt like he might be able to make his life fit together somehow. Seeing the stunned look on Blaine's face, Kurt gave an encouraging nod before looking past them both to Finn. He found himself wondering why they'd arrived together but made a note to ask after his father left. Right now what mattered most was seeing that he and Blaine found some common ground. "I'm glad you're back," Kurt greeted his boyfriend almost shyly before holding out his own hand to beckon Blaine closer.

It was rare indeed for Blaine to find himself at a loss over how to react. Never in a million years did he ever imagine Kurt's father not only thanking him, but also literally extending a hand in friendship. "You don't have to thank me, sir," he gently insisted. "I would do anything for your son." Offering Burt a warm smile, he turned his attention to Kurt and gratefully accepted his hand. "This means the world to both of us," he told Burt, glancing back at the older man. "We love each other, and for what it's worth, I promise I'll always take care of him."

Burt hadn't expected Blaine to turn out to be so nice, so... human. For the first time, he felt as if he could understand what Kurt saw in the vampire. However, he couldn't completely let down his guard or stop worrying about his son's safety. "I appreciate that," he replied, unable to deny Kurt's sudden change. With Blaine's arrival it was suddenly as if everything was right with the world, and nothing untoward had ever occurred at all. "As long you'll both abide by a few rules, we shouldn't have a problem." Sensing that the pair were anxious to be alone, Burt decided to take a chance and leave them alone. "Finn, are you staying?" he asked his stepson.

"Erm, yeah," Finn answered, taken aback as much as Blaine. "There's some stuff I wanna talk to Kurt about."

Burt nodded, "Alright, I'll see you at home." He pressed a kiss to Kurt's forehead, then flashed Blaine a guarded smile before leaving.

The vampire watched his lover's father depart. He sat down on the edge of Kurt's starched white hospital bed, still holding his hand and reeling from the turn of events. "I don't know what just happened," Blaine confessed, "but something tells me you had something to do with it."

"I was honest with him. I told him what I wanted. I should have done that before," Kurt confessed with a sigh. He'd told his father what he wanted, but he'd bowed to everyone else's needs and desires, he'd given things away until he couldn't remember why he was bothering anymore. "He isn't happy about it, but he promised to try. We may have to be a bit more... um... proper." The teen blushed furiously at the thought of the things they'd done and even coming close to talking about it in front of Finn. "Right now I'm just happy you're here." With that said, Kurt finally turned his attention to Finn who still looked stunned and tired. "Are you okay?"

"What?" Finn blinked at his stepbrother, still dazed over everything that had happened. "Yeah, no... I don't know." He exhaled deeply, his shoulders sagging as he flopped into the recliner he'd slept in the other night. Wired and anxious, Finn's legs bounced up and down nervously.

Blaine didn't have to rely on his vampiric instincts to know what was bothering him. He took it upon himself to explain things to Kurt in Finn's stead. "Damien left town," he said softly. "Your brother went to see him to get some answers, and we both found the apartment stripped bare." It came as something of a relief-albeit a sad one-that his sire would no longer be a problem. It didn't mean Blaine could let down his guard, but at least he and Kurt might relax a little.

"I... just want to know why I can't remember anything," Finn faltered, getting back on his feet and pacing the room.

Feeling responsible and protective towards the jock, Blaine left Kurt's side long enough to place his hands on Finn's arms and stop him in his tracks. "Finn listen, it doesn't matter," he said gently. "He's gone, and you're free of him. There's nothing to worry about, okay?"

Blaine had a calming effect on him, and Finn visibly started to relax a little. "Yeah, you're right..." He trailed off, glancing sheepishly over at Kurt. "You two probably wanna be alone. I'll come by and see you tomorrow."

Leaving the hospital, Finn had never felt more achingly empty in his life. He had nothing now-no prospects and no one to turn to. Damien had abandoned him, and Blaine-despite also biting him-only had eyes for Kurt. Not that Finn wanted a relationship with Blaine. It was the fact that-like Damien before him-Blaine had cast him aside. The whole thing was absolutely crazy, but the one time he felt complete was giving himself over to a vampire. No one would ever be able to understand, not even Kurt. The pain/pleasure of being taken, of feeling those sharp fangs tearing into his flesh, the blood pouring into a ravenous mouth... had all became a drug to Finn. He was addicted, and the two beings who could give him what he needed-what he had been missing-were no longer an option.

Instead of going home, Finn wandered the streets of Lima. He drove aimlessly, finding even his favorite classic rock radio station little comfort. The ache clawing its way inside of him intensified until he started to tremble like a druggie who'd gone without a fix for too long. He wasn't even the least surprised to discover himself eventually parked outside of The Last Drop. Fang-bangers, the undead, and curiosity seekers were either lined up, or making their way inside the bar. For the briefest moment Finn doubted his actions. Until he spotted one of the vampires leading a willing mortal into the shadows between buildings. Knowing that someone was about to enjoy the fulfillment of being claimed was too much for Finn.

Leaving his car, he fished out his fake ID and headed for the club's entrance...

"Just... look out for yourself," Kurt instructed gently. It was hard not to be bothered by obvious - albeit temporary - connection between Blaine and Finn, but he shrugged it off. If it helped Finn feel better, that was the important thing. He didn't deserve to suffer anymore from Damien's control. Once they were alone again, Kurt sighed and held his hand out for Blaine again. "I'm glad he's gone. I know it doesn't mean that he won't come back, but I'm so glad that... that at least for now, maybe we'll be safe." He knew that, given time, his father could get used to Blaine and maybe even come to like him. If they were really free of Damien's influence, life could truly get back on track. "Right now I'm just ready to go home." Quietly, voice rough from the strain and far too much use, Kurt added, "They said that if... if I still seem to be doing well tomorrow, then I can go home. Maybe go back to school on Monday." The thought honestly terrified him. The idea of facing everyone when they knew precisely what he'd done, of seeing Karofsky and the rest of his friends when they knew how much they'd gotten under his skin, scared him half to death.

Blaine hated the idea of Kurt returning to a life of daily torment. He fairly seethed over the thought of one of Kurt's harassers daring to lay a finger on him, let alone kiss him. The act would not go unpunished. Indeed, if Blaine ever hoped to protect his lover during the day, then he would have to send a message to those who sought to harm him. Blaine buried his feelings, concentrating instead on Kurt. "I'm glad they won't be keeping you too much longer," he confessed, raising Kurt's warm hand to his cool lips. "I was afraid you might not be able to go home for a long time." When he was mortal, he had known a few other teenagers who either tried or succeeded in taking their lives. Those who survived were usually shipped off for psychiatric care. "All I want is to see you smiling again," he added, leaning in closer and pressing a tender kiss to the mortal's sweet lips for the first time in what seemed like ages.

Kurt let the sweetness of the moment wash over him and sighed as Blaine drew away again. "Then you're going to have to stay close. I'll be okay at school. I... I'm going to be seeing someone. A psychiatrist. I'd say it makes me feel crazy, but... the truth is what makes me feel crazy is what I did. I need to stop trying to do everything on my own." He hated talking about it, but the less he talked and the more he held in, the more difficult it would be in the long run and Kurt knew it. "It's frustrating even to me thinking about how far I have to go with all this and how much I need to work out and... and if you don't..." Unable to look into Blaine's eyes as he said the rest, Kurt's gaze focused on the vampire's hand clasped tightly in his own, "If you don't want to wait or deal with it, I understand. I don't want you to stay just because you're worried about me."

"Kurt," Blaine started, cradling the back of his lover's head and forcing him to gaze into his eyes. "The sun could blast into the room, and it wouldn't make me leave you." He brushed his lips against Kurt's again, smiling softly. "You're not going to get rid of me that easily." Circumstances and misunderstandings had already kept them apart far too long. And Blaine vowed to never allow anything or anyone to stand between them again. "I love you, Kurt," the vampire reaffirmed. "Your problems are my problems. We'll face it all together." He pressed his forehead to Kurt's, then wrapped his arms around him, embracing him tightly. "So, do you want to tell me what your Dad meant by a 'proper' relationship?" Blaine asked in a playful tone, hoping to lighten Kurt's mood.

"Hmmm... he said he didn't want to see any bite marks," Kurt answered with a roll of his eyes and a dramatic sigh. "I'm guessing I'll also be grounded for awhile. Possibly until I graduate." That was a gross exaggeration, but Kurt knew that his father wouldn't let the lying and sneaking around he'd done go unanswered. "that means we may have to do things like family dinners and game night with my parents for awhile." It sounded painful even to him. Still Kurt was grateful to be alive to share those things and have Blaine by his side. A smile finding its way to his face as well, Kurt nudged his lover. "You sure you can't be scared away?"

"Absolutely not," Blaine replied, returning Kurt's infectious smile with a grin of his own. "There's something you have to know about me, Kurt. Nothing and no one is ever going to scare me away from you." Another kiss, then the vampire was nuzzling his mortal lover's throat. He would miss not having the intimate luxury of feeding from Kurt's delicious blood. But actually being with Kurt was far more important than satisfying his hunger. "You know, I'll be happy as long as we're together," he murmured, glancing up into that startling blue-green eyes. "That's all that matters." Blaine reached up to comb his fingers through Kurt's hair, adding, "We have a lot of time to make up for, don't we?"

"Too much," Kurt agreed. Every second apart had felt like years, and now he had no idea how he'd spend any time without Blaine. The truth was that if it hadn't been for the drugs, he would have tried to persuade the vampire to just hole up in the room with him all day, sleeping or not. "I wish school wasn't during the day." Being awake all day for class and then half the night to be with Blaine had been taking its toll, and Kurt knew that some compromise would have to be reached eventually. "You could maybe stay over sometimes... be there when you wake up?" Kurt didn't know how his dad might react to the idea, but it put his mind at ease. "I just want every second we can get."

Blaine understood completely. If he knew Kurt's father would agree, then he would have suggested Kurt simply move in with him to make things easier for everyone. It was out of question, of course. But a lovely idea nonetheless. "We'll work something out, I promise," the vampire murmured. "Even if we can only see each other on weekends, every minute we have together will be worth it." His chilly fingers roamed from Kurt's lush, dark hair to caress a warm cheek. "You don't have to worry about me not being here anymore." A soft kiss, sweet and lingering, then he added, "I love you, Kurt. We're going to make this work, I know we will."

He'd intended to stay awake and alert for the duration of Blaine's visit but found that the medication in his system still meant drifting in and out. Kurt found it rather pleasant nodding off only to find himself waking with Blaine's arms around him and his lover's cheek resting against his hair. "Mmm... like this. Missed this," Kurt murmured against Blaine's shirt. He knew that eventually his father or Finn would come back to take their "shift" watching over him, but he didn't mind. There weren't any secrets anymore, and he didn't need to hide the way he felt about Blaine. "I don't even mind so much being in the hospital... not when I get to spend the time with you." It only took a glance at the clock to know that Blaine would be leaving soon, and Kurt held on a little tighter. "I'll miss you today."

Blaine took on a melancholy expression, even as he smiled warmly into Kurt's eyes. He despised the thought of leaving him, and he wished that all hospital rooms could be equipped with accommodations for vampire visitors. "We'll see each other again tonight. I promise." Blaine tipped Kurt's chin up with icy fingers, seeking out his lover's delectable mouth, and indulging in a kiss that left them both aching with passion and longing. "Right now I want you to concentrate on everything we have to look forward to." And Kurt's future would be bright, especially after Blaine made certain that no one ever hurt him again. "There's one word I want you to remember. For me, okay?" Another kiss, more tender this time, then, "Courage. When we're apart, think about how strong and brave you really are. It will keep me with you." He pressed his hand to Kurt's chest, feeling his heart beating rhythmically beneath his palm. "Right here."

From anyone else, the speech would have seemed impossibly cheesy. From Blaine, it was all sincere warmth that left Kurt wondering how he could have doubted Blaine's affections for a second no matter how strange things had gotten between them. "I love you," he whispered. Soon enough the vampire had to take his leave to retreat from the rising sun, but Kurt felt better. The more time they had, the better he felt. The smile still lingered on his lips when the door to his room opened again. Kurt spotted a spray of flowers and opened his mouth to greet his father. The face he found behind the vibrant arrangement was one he didn't expect, and Kurt's smile faltered and fell. "What are you-"

"Kurt, please," Dave Karofsky began in a voice that was nothing like the mocking tone that Kurt had grown so used to hearing in the halls, "please, just... I just need to say how sorry I am." The jock set the flowers down on a nearby table but didn't move a single step closer to the pale boy on the bed. "I made such a mess of... everything." There were tears in the young man's eyes, "And I know I can't ask you to forgive me, but you have to know how sorry I am, Kurt."

Stunned to the point of not knowing what to say, Kurt gaped for several beats. "You made my life hell," he finally whispered. Kurt's voice gained strength as he added, "You tortured me. You... you _attacked_ me, and... and now you're... you're bringing me daisies?"

The jock looked as if he was on the verge of running but finally squared his shoulders and nodded. "Yeah. I'm bringing you flowers. I'm apologizing. I'm... I'm telling you that you don't have to worry anymore. I won't hurt you anymore. I won't touch you. I won't... I won't even talk to you again if you don't want. And they won't hurt you either. The other guys. They _won't_."

The certainty in the words struck Kurt, and took a slow breath to get his thoughts together. "You're gay."

"Yeah. I just... I'm not ready for... for everybody to know. I know I'm a coward, but football's my shot. It's my chance to get out, and if the guys found out..."

"Then they'd treat you the way they treated me." The words were soft, sympathetic rather than accusing, and Kurt sighed. "I won't tell anyone. I wouldn't wish what I went through on anyone, not even on you."

"Kurt, I never wanted-"

"I believe you. We all have parts to play in high school. You were playing yours. It... this... this wasn't because of you. Not just because of you. It was a lot of things," Kurt allowed. He hesitated. "The flowers are lovely, David. Thank you."

The small concession brightened the other teenager's face at once. "Yeah? I hoped you'd like 'em. You wore this shirt last week that... it kinda matched." The admission brought a blush to his face that Kurt wouldn't have believed possible twenty minutes before. "Uh, I gotta get to school. I'll... I can bring you your homework if you want... so you don't get behind."

It was an additional olive branch, and Kurt nodded his agreement. "Thank you. I'd appreciate that." They both fell silent and Dave ducked out of the room after an awkward little wave that left Kurt shaking his head. Blaine would never believe what had happened, but he couldn't wait to fill him in.

As darkness threw its cloak over McKinley High School, Blaine pushed the front doors open and stalked down the shadowed hallways. Football practice ran late this time of the year, which turned out to be fortuitous in the vampire's search. Anger swelled deep inside of him as he could almost smell Kurt's fear permeating every inch of the oppressive gloom. After tonight, no one would ever dare to step foot near his precious lover again. Blaine had never been vindictive, not even when he had also been tormented on a daily basis when he was still mortal. He'd worked out, even taken up boxing for self defense. But he still couldn't bring himself to fight back. Being undead, however, had broken whatever chains kept his ire in check. And there was no hesitation on sending Kurt's bullies a potent message.

Having no trouble finding the locker room, Blaine concealed himself as the jocks separated and filed out after showering. He waited, hands clenching and unclenching reflexively as he contemplated which mortal to snatch. He didn't have to ponder long, as he caught a faint whiff of Kurt's scent on one of them... One left behind and taking his time dressing. Blaine's fangs emerged, and he stormed into the room in a furious burst of speed. He grabbed the startled mortal by the throat, hauling him to his feet and slamming him hard against the lockers. Blaine's message was simple, "Never bother Kurt Hummel again."

Then, deafening screams rang out.


End file.
